December 12, 2018 Dear Members of Congress: As Founder and Board Secretary of Arizona Voice for Crime Victims, I urge you to oppose the First Step Act of 2018 (§.3649) currently pending in the United States Senate. Arizona Voice for Crime Victims Americans who have been victimized by ctime—victims of sexual assault, child abuse, child sex trafficking, burglary, physical assault, drug crimes, gun crimes, homicide, and other offenses. Arizona Voice for Crime Victims works to provide crime victims with the services, safety, and justice they deserve. The Fist Step Act of 2018 undermines all of these values. Every aspect of the Senate's First Step Act—the legislative process and the bill’s substance—has been an insult to victims of crime and their loved ones. ‘The bill’s drafters made no effort to consider the input of crime victims and have failed to provide legislators, crime victims, and the general public time to evaluate the bill. The Firs Step Act was drafted behind closed doors. The bill’s authors took the time to consult monied special interest groups, but never reached out to ot considered the input of victims of ctime. And now the US. Senate is threatening to ram through legislation in a matter of days—legislation that has not been publicly released and is being altered daily, behind closed doors. There has been no discussion on how granting early release to tens of thousands of felons might impact the safety of victims and ‘witnesses who testify against them. Crime victims and members of the genezal public, whose safety are at stake, deserve time to evaluate the bill. The bill’s supporters are adamant that victims do not ‘get that chance, as they insist Congtess pass their still secret bill within days. Why the rush and secrecy? A look at the bill’s text may explain why its authors are so eager to keep it hidden. The First Step Act poses a real danger to victims of crime and the general public. ‘The First Step Act's goal is cleatly eatly telease for its own sake, not rehabilitation. The bill mandates that the federal government provide every federal prisoner with extensive programs nominally aimed at preventing recidivism. Then, the bill mandates that many felons automatically receive early release from prison for participating, All without regard as to whether the offender has been rehabilitated. ‘There is no requirement that a prisoner accept responsibility for his crime, that he provide restitution to his victims, ot even that he promise not to attack his victims again once released. A Prisoner could literally spend his “mentoring” or “family relationship building,” sessions vowing to seek vengeance on his rape victim and be released early as a reward.And be assured, rapists, child molesters, and other violent criminals will be released eatly under the Firs Step Act. A short list of the offenders who would receive automatic early release include ptisonets convicted of: * attempt to enslave someone, attempt to sell someone as a slave, or attempt to sex traffic a child, 18 USC 1594; * benefitting (financially or otherwise) from slavery, human trafficking, or sex trafficking of cchildren,18 USC 1593A; * “assault with intent to commit rape,” “aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse,” and “abusive sexual contact” (the Bureau of Prisons must give these prisoners early release unless the prisoner is currently sentenced to over 1 year in prison and has previously served over 1 year in prison for such a crime), 18 USC 3559(c )(2)(F); © domestic violence,18 USC 2261; © stalking, 18 USC 2261A; * violation of a protective order, 18 USC 2262; © repeated conviction for domestic violence, stalking, ot violation of a protective order, 18 USC 22654; © assault with intent to commit a felony other than murdet or sexual abuse; assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm; assault by striking, beating, or wounding; or assault resulting in serious bodily injury. 18 USC 113(a)(2), (3), (4), (5), & (6). * assaulting a law enforcement officet (the Bureau of Prisons must give these prisoners early release unless the prisoner used a “deadly or dangerous weapon” or inflicted serious bodily injury), 18 USC 111@) ‘This is hardly consistent with safety or fairness to crime victims Additionally, Congress should not enact the First St~p Act without some estimate of its costs and ‘without ironclad assurance that the costs will not be paid for at the expense of crime victims. There is every reason to believe that the costs will be staggering, ‘The Fins Step Act requires BOP to conduct annual (or more frequent) risk-and-needs assessments for all 180,00 fedezal prisoners, regardless of the prisoner's length of sentence ot crime, and provide regular recidivism programs for all 180,000 prisoners, during the entize length of their incarceration. ‘This includes death row inmates and prisoners secving life sentences without the possibility of parole. We have no estimate of how much this extraordinary administrative burden will cost America’s taxpayers. And the bill does not provide any funding for these new duties. ‘There is reason to worry that payment for these services will come at the expense of crime victims. For over a decade, Congress has diverted billions of dollars from the Crime Victims Fund to pay for other government programs. The bill provides no assurance that this will not happen again. Accordingly, we could very well see taxpayer dollars divested away from providing health services to child sape victims and towatd “life skills” classes and “trauma-informed support programs” forsomeone serving a life sentence for raping and murdering multiple children, for ISIS operatives and other terrorists, and for death row inmates? How is this ctiminal “justice”? ‘This is not to say that we should simply lock away and forget prisoners. Indeed, many prisoners were once victims of crime themselves. I support fair, well-constructed efforts to rehabilitate those in our federal prisons. The First Step Aa, however, is far cry from such an effort. On behalf of the millions of crime victims actoss America, I implore Members of the U.S. Senate to hit the “pause” button. Overhauling Ametica’s criminal justice system is no small matter. Take the time to get the effort right. I stand ready to work with Members of Congress on a true criminal justice bill—one that focuses on true rchabilitation and reintegration of offenders, while also providing for ctime victims and ensuring public safety. I urge you to promote these values and oppose the Fint Step Act of 2018 (S.3649) currently pending before the U.S. Senate. Sincerely, LEA Steven J. Twist, Founder & Board Secretary, Arizona Voice for Crime Victims