President Trump
Participates in the
2019 Prison Reform Summit and First Step Act Celebration
______________________
ACHIEVING
GROUNDBREAKING REFORM: The landmark First Step Act enacted commonsense criminal
justice reform that is helping prisoners gain a new lease on life and is making
America safer.
- In
December 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the First Step
Act, marking the first major reforms to our criminal justice system in
over a decade.
- The First
Step Act enacted commonsense reforms to make our justice system fairer and
help inmates successfully transition back into society.
- President
Trump remains committed to building on this success and continuing the
great work achieved by this legislation.
OFFERING A
SECOND CHANCE: Inmates across the country are getting a second chance thanks to
the First Step Act.
- The First
Step Act is providing prisoners with a second chance through rehabilitative
programs, fair sentencing, and smart confinement.
- Over
16,000 inmates are enrolled in a drug treatment program offered as part of
the robust drug treatment strategy managed by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
- To date,
BOP has assessed over 400 inmates for participation in Medication
Assisted Treatment programs designed to aid in their recovery.
- The First
Step Act provided the opportunity for sentencing relief for certain
defendants who received mandatory minimum sentences prior to the Fair
Sentencing Act of 2010.
- 721
defendants have received sentence reductions, 573 of which have resulted
in inmates being released.
- The First
Step Act expanded avenues for eligible elderly and terminally ill
prisoners to get their sentences reduced by allowing for their motions to
be directly filed with the courts.
- The First
Step Act authorized eligible low-risk and elderly inmates to be
transferred to home confinement when possible.
- The
legislation also advised BOP to place inmates within 500 driving miles of
home when possible.
DEDICATING
RESOURCES TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM: The Trump Administration is committed to
helping prisoners successfully rejoin society after their release.
- President
Trump’s fiscal year 2020 Budget proposes over $500 million for various
Federal programs to help prisoners succeed in society after their release,
including:
- $234
million for the Department of Justice to support reentry programs, inmate
education, and occupational training programs.
- $78
million for the Department of Labor to improve employment outcomes for
formerly incarcerated adults and young adults.
- In 2019,
the Department of Education will provide $28 million for a Pell grant
pilot program to help eligible incarcerated Americans pursue postsecondary
education.
- These
initiatives are intended to help reduce the rate of recidivism and offer
prisoners the support they need for life after incarceration.
___________________________
Proclamation on
Second
Chance Month, 2019
Issued
on: March 29, 2019
Americans
have always believed in the power of redemption ‑‑ that those who have
fallen can work toward brighter days ahead. Almost all of the more than
two million people in America’s prisons will one day return to their
communities. In each case, they will have served their sentence and
earned the chance to take their places back in society. During Second
Chance Month, we draw attention to the challenges that former inmates face and
the steps we can take to ensure they have the opportunity to become
contributing members of society.
Inmates
are often eager to leave behind the challenges presented by incarceration.
Too often, however, they find the transition to life outside of prison to be
daunting. If they are not able to find jobs and housing and rebuild
relationships with family and friends, they may find it harder to escape the
cycle of reoffending. Sadly, 5 out of 6 State prisoners are rearrested
within 9 years of their release, and more than a third of former Federal
prisoners will be rearrested within 5 years of their release. In
addition to the harm caused to the victims of crime, these high recidivism
rates place a significant financial burden on taxpayers, deprive our labor
force of productive workers, and leave families without spouses, children, and
parents.
My
Administration is committed to helping former prisoners reenter society as
productive, law‑abiding citizens. For this reason, I signed into law the
bipartisan FIRST STEP Act. This new legislation makes several positive
reforms to increase the likelihood of successful prisoner reentry. The
legislation provides improved opportunities for inmates to engage in
educational coursework and vocational training, and establishes pilot
mentorship programs. It also allows prisoners who successfully complete
evidence‑based recidivism reduction programs to earn time credits to apply
toward prerelease custody or supervised release, reducing their time in
prison. Because maintaining family and community ties is key to a
successful reentry into society, the bill includes provisions that allow
inmates to be placed in facilities closer to their home communities,
facilitating family visitation during their time of incarceration.
Finally, the law makes adjustments to sentencing rules that will make our
criminal justice system more fair, reducing penalties for certain drug
offenders.
This
month, we celebrate those who have exited the prison system and
successfully reentered society and renew our commitment to providing
support and resources that former inmates need to meet their responsibilities,
rediscover their self‑worth, and benefit from the gift of a second
chance. We also express our sincere gratitude to all those who play
a significant role in helping reduce recidivism, including faith‑based and
community organizations and employers willing to hire workers notwithstanding a
criminal history. By reducing recidivism and putting former inmates on
the path to success, we can reduce crime and enhance the safety of our
communities.
NOW,
THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America,
by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim April 2019 as Second Chance
Month. I call on all Americans to commemorate this month with events
and activities that raise public awareness about preventing crime and providing
those who have completed their sentences an opportunity for an honest second
chance.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of March, in
the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence
of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.
DONALD J. TRUMP
