RoC Logo-PNG Contact: Kevin McVicker
For Immediate Release Shirley & Banister Public Affairs
July 20, 2015 (703) 739-5920/(800) 536-5920
[email protected]

 

Austin, TX – House Speaker John Boehner’s statement on criminal justice reform shows us that he has joined those who recognize that being Right on Crime is far better than being “tough” on crime. In supporting the SAFE Justice Act, Speaker Boehner has added his voice to the chorus of policymakers who know that the time has come for a broad-based criminal justice reform strategy.

Right on Crime has been a long time leader in criminal justice reform, starting in Texas. After Texas instituted reforms to overhaul its system in 2007, the state saved $443 million over the next two years while keeping the crime rate low. Since then, Right on Crime has taken the lessons learned in Texas to apply conservative principles in many other states. Our efforts are now also focused on reforming the federal system. The federal criminal justice system is in need of reforms similar to those that saved taxpayers money while maintaining public safety in Texas and many other states: overcriminalization, sentencing, earned time, and increased accountability – among other areas – many of which are addressed in the bill offered by Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner and Bobby Scott.

After many years of debate and hearings on these topics, the hard work of members of Congress and reform advocates is paying off. For too long, costly prison space – a necessary tool in providing for public safety – has been used injudiciously as the default mechanism for punishing offenders. The result of these policies led to the unprecedented growth of government spending on criminal justice, while cost-efficient solutions were overlooked. The successes seen in many states have given renewed interest in finding punishments that provide the best return in public safety and government efficiency.

We welcome Speaker Boehner and any new voices to the movement for federal criminal justice reform. It’s encouraging to see legislation in Congress with such broad support. The comprehensive approach taken by the SAFE Justice Act will go a long way to ensuring justice for victims and offenders.


Right on Crime is a project of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas. The Right on Crime Statement of Principles may be viewed by clicking the link.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Kevin McVicker with Shirley & Banister Public Affairs at (703) 739-5920 or [email protected].