Crime
More on Crime
September 6, 2015
By Rep. Bobby Scott
For far too long, politicians across the nation have chosen to play politics with crime policy by enacting so-called “tough on crime” slogans such as “three strikes and you’re out” or rhymes like “you do the adult crime, you do the adult time.” As appealing as these soundbites may be, they have done nothing to reduce crime — but they have overloaded our prisons.
Research by The Pew Charitable Trusts shows that between 1980 and 2013 our federal prison population skyrocketed from 24,000 to 215,000. The United States now has around 5 percent of the world’s population, yet 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. It has gotten to the point that some recent studies have concluded that our level of over-incarceration is actually counterproductive, meaning that it destroys so many families, creates so many people with felony records and wastes so much taxpayer money that it generates more crime than it stops.
Issues:Civil RightsCrimeJudiciary
August 18, 2015
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Today, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott announced that he will be given a tour of the Newport News City Jail by Sheriff G. Morgan on Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at 1:00 pm. The Newport News jail tour will highlight the need for improvements and investments into the facility which currently provides assistance to inmates with substance abuse and mental health issues.
Issues:Civil RightsCrimeJudiciary
August 6, 2015
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Today, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott announced that he will host Criminal Justice Reform forums in Richmond on Monday, August 10th and in Norfolk on Tuesday, August 11th. Congressman Scott will be joined by law enforcement officials, judges, and other criminal justice experts. These events are free and open to the public. In addition to hearing from experts in the criminal justice field, Congressman Scott will also discuss H.R. 2944, the Safe, Accountable, Fair, and Effective (SAFE) Justice Act, legislation that he introduced earlier this summer with Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI). The SAFE Justice Act takes a broad-based approach to improving the federal sentencing and corrections system, from front-end sentencing reform to back-end release policies. It is also the first bill that addresses the federal supervision system – ensuring that probation does a better job stopping the revolving door at federal prisons.
Issues:Civil RightsCrimeJudiciary
The Safe, Accountable, Fair, and Effective (SAFE) Justice Act, introduced with Congressman Jason Lewis (R-MN), takes a broad-based approach to improving the federal sentencing and corrections system, from front-end sentencing reform to back-end release policies.
June 25, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two years after beginning an intensive, comprehensive review of the federal criminal justice system as the leaders of the Over-Criminalization Task Force, Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) today introduced bipartisan, state-tested legislation aimed at safely reining in the size and associated costs of the federal criminal code and prison system.
The Safe, Accountable, Fair, and Effective (SAFE) Justice Act of 2015 takes a broad-based approach to improving the federal sentencing and corrections system, from front-end sentencing reform to back-end release policies. It is also the first bill that addresses the federal supervision system – ensuring that probation does a better job stopping the revolving door at federal prisons.
Issues:Civil RightsCrimeJudiciary
June 23, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, June 25th, Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) will announce the introduction of the Safe, Accountable, Fair, and Effective (SAFE) Justice Act of 2015. Representatives Sensenbrenner and Scott led the House Judiciary Committee’s Over-criminalization Task Force during the 113th Congress. The task force was charged with assessing the entire federal criminal justice system and making recommendations for improvements. Over the course of 18 months, the task force held ten hearings and heard testimony from numerous stakeholders, including experts in the federal, academic, and nonprofit sectors.
June 11, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) today announced the introduction of H.R. 2728, the Youth Justice Act of 2015. The legislation would reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) of 1974, which has not been reauthorized by Congress in over a decade. The bill reinforces federal safeguards for state juvenile justice systems, by renewing education, safety, and prevention standards for our nation’s youth. The legislation is based on S. 2999, a bipartisan bill that was introduced on December 11, 2014 by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
June 2, 2015
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Chair, this amendment that I am offering today would repurpose just 1 percent of the funding for the Federal prison system and restore funding for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Madam Chair, the underlying bill zeros out both title II formula grants and title V discretionary grants for prevention and early intervention programs, which were funded last year at approximately $70 million. To ensure that our State juvenile justice systems are not irreparably damaged, this amendment would take just 1 percent away from our Federal prison systems, approximately $70 million, to maintain our commitment to prevention and early intervention.
May 19, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on his No vote on S. 178, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015:
“Human trafficking is abhorrent and a form of modern-day slavery. And as a co-chair of the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus, I am committed to ensuring that we end this illegal trade and provide the necessary support for survivors.
“S. 178 incorporates numerous bi-partisan human trafficking bills that I strongly support and will significantly help curtail this illegal trade and provide additional support for survivors. Unfortunately, the bill includes a provision that unnecessarily expands mandatory minimum sentencing.
Issues:Crime
May 1, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC), Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) introduced the Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education (“Youth PROMISE”) Act (H.R. 2197).
The Youth PROMISE Act will provide resources to communities to engage in comprehensive, evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies to decrease violence, gang crime, illegal drug activity and other crime. Under the Youth PROMISE Act, communities facing the greatest youth gang and crime challenges will each form a local council of representatives from law enforcement, court services, schools, social service organizations, health and mental health providers, the business community, and other public and private community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations. The council will develop a comprehensive plan for implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies for young people who are at-risk of becoming involved, or who are already involved, in gangs, or the criminal justice system to redirect them toward productive and law-abiding alternatives.