By Corrections1 Staff
WASHINGTON — A prison reform bill backed by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner has advanced after winning bipartisan support.
The Hill reported that the House Judiciary Committee voted 25-5 in support of the bill, which is known as the First Step Act. The bill seeks to offer more funding for prison programs and incentivizes inmates to complete programs to reduce the likelihood of them committing new crimes once released.
The legislation authorizes $50 million a year for five years for the Bureau of Prisons to spend on programs such as job training and education. The bill would also allow inmates up to 54 days of credit for good behavior, compared to previous law, which only allowed inmates to earn 47 days a year.
Many have been divided over the bill, such as Democrats and liberal groups that wanted to push for more significant reforms, such as reductions on mandatory sentences. The bill did include some language to win Democratic support, including more opportunities for inmates to earn time credits by completing prison programs.
Rep. Doug Collins, who spent much of the past week in negotiations to try to win over Democrats, said he’s confident there will be enough support to push the bill through the House and Senate.
“They have their own process to go through. There may be some issues that we can then work on later, but I do feel this is one of the pieces of legislation that will be signed into law this year,” he said.
Kushner was expected to head down to Texas on Friday to promote the reforms, according to the Dallas Morning News. He will be joined by Sen. John Cornyn as they tour the Seagoville Federal Correctional Institution.
“This legislation will help shut the revolving door of recidivism to save taxpayer dollars and reduce crime,” Cornyn said in a prepared statement earlier this week.