Washington, DC: The US House of Representatives last week passed legislation, HR 5143, that seeks to establish a national commission to “undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system.”
House Bill 5143 is the companion bill to Senate Bill 714, the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2010. It would establish a blue-ribbon commission to assess US criminal justice policies and make recommendations to Congress.
“Today our prison population is expanding at an alarming rate, with costs to the taxpayers that are unsustainable,” House sponsor William Delahunt (D-MA) said in a prepared statement. “(This) bill … will assess the current crisis, reverse these disturbing trends and help save taxpayer money.”
The companion version of the bill awaits action from the full Senate.
Commenting on the House bill’s passage, NORML Legal Counsel Keith Stroup said: “It’s been decades since a federally appointed commission has taken an objective look at American criminal justice policies, and it’s been nearly 40 years since federal lawmakers have undertaken a critical examination of U.S. drug policy. This vote recognizes that changes to America’s ‘do drugs; do time’ mentality are necessary and long overdue.”
For more information, please contact Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel, at (202) 483-5500.