Issue Position: Criminal Justice

Issue Position

Many of our criminal justice policies are good; they protect our loved ones and communities. At the same time, far too many of our laws are ineffective or do more harm than good. I am committed to reforming criminal justice so that it is sensible, effective and consistent with our notions of equality and fairness.

Key Justice Initiatives
As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, and its Task Force on Over-Criminalization, I am urging reforms that will improve criminal justice. I believe we could drastically reduce prison overcrowding by repealing harsh mandatory minimums and reserving the toughest sentences for serious criminals who threaten public safety. We should invest in community-oriented crime prevention and intervention efforts for struggling neighborhoods and at-risk youth. In addition, we need to ensure that those who have paid their debt to society have reentry services and opportunities to live productive lives.

Bass Priorities

Identifying criminal justice policies that are discriminatory or counterproductive
Focusing resources on community-oriented services to help at-risk youth and neighborhoods
Advocating for reentry services to help ex-offenders become productive citizens

Co-sponsored Legislation

"SUCCESS Act" (H.R. 3510)--Repeals the law that strips young people of needed college aid after being convicted of even minor drug offenses
"Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act" (H.R.1318)--Supports juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention to help build individual, family and community strength
"Student Disciplinary Fairness Act" (H.R. 3153)--Establishes an Office of School and Discipline Policy to reduce the number of children incarcerated based on activity at school
Universal "RESPECT Act" (H.R. 3560)--Prohibits federal law enforcement from engaging in racial profiling
"Smarter Sentencing Act" (H.R. 3382)--Reduces certain 20-year, 10-year and 5-year mandatory-minimum drug sentences to 10, 5 and 2 years. It also permits federal prisoners imprisoned for crack offenses to seek fairer punishments
"Justice Safety Valve Act" (H.R. 1695)--Allows a court to sentence below the mandatory minimum if the mandatory minimum is too harsh

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