1NC – Congress CP – Teaser

The United States Congress should enact [PLAN].

Congress solves – builds on current legislative momentum and results in state follow-
on
Timothy Head and Gil Kerlikowske ’19, *is the executive director of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, **is the former Director of
the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and police chief in Buffalo and Seattle, “Let's maintain our bipartisan momentum with
criminal justice reform”, 10/30/19, The Hill, https://thehill.com/opinion/criminal-justice/468196-lets-maintain-our-bipartisan-momentum-with-
criminal-justice-reform

Ten months ago, Congress passed the FIRST STEP Act, signaling the arrival of bipartisan criminal justice reform
at the federal level. The question for Washington now is: What’s next? Individuals and organizations
across the political spectrum have united around common themes like justice, fairness, equality, and
second chances. They agree that America’s high incarceration and recidivism rates take a toll on
families and communities, and that we need to balance personal responsibility with forgiveness and
rehabilitation. Solutions to these problems will increase public safety, save taxpayer dollars and restore the lives of both offenders and victims. The
Council on Criminal Justice has begun the hard work of identifying top priorities for future federal
reforms. The council convened its inaugural policy summit in the nation’s capital and circulated draft proposals from its first task force, highlighting the next
steps the federal government should take. Unveiled by council leaders and the co-chairs of the task force, the preliminary recommendations

range from restoring Pell grants for justice-involved individuals to fully constituting the U.S. Sentencing
Commission. This is so it can fulfill its duty to make necessary adjustments regarding sentencing
standards and conduct a comprehensive review of the U.S. criminal code . The council task force also is
considering proposals to expand the use of drug, veterans, mental health, and other problem solving
and accountability courts, as well as strengthening oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to improve
conditions of confinement. The past half-century is littered with criminal justice policies and programs that initially seemed like good ideas, but
ultimately fell short or even caused harm to individuals and communities. Fortunately , a growing body of research on what works to

improve criminal justice outcomes is now available to policymakers as they develop reforms at the
federal level. The states are already well on their way, with Texas, Georgia, Oregon, Louisiana and others adopting comprehensive bipartisan reform
packages in recent years. Continued reform at the federal level, if successfully implemented, will encourage

states to deepen their efforts and may spark movement in the few remaining states that have been
reluctant to act . We know that 97 percent of people in prison will eventually go home. Recidivism — when former inmates commit a new crime and
return to prison — has a significant effect on public safety and the viability of our communities. Research has demonstrated that there are proven steps that can
reduce recidivism, making all of us safer while increasing the odds that people who return to our communities come back as contributing members of society,
working in stable jobs and taking care of their families. The
passage of the FIRST STEP Act marked a critical milestone in our
journey toward a more fair and effective criminal justice system . Let’s maintain our bipartisan
momentum — the future of our criminal justice system and our democracy depends on it.