Prison Fellowship Responds to Agreement on FIRST STEP Act Language

WASHINGTON, DC—Prison Fellowship®, the nation's largest Christian nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, released the following statement after the White House and Senate leadership reached an agreement on language included in the FIRST STEP Act—prison reform legislation that passed overwhelmingly in the U.S. House of Representatives in May and is now expected to be taken up in the Senate with new sentencing provisions.

"Prison Fellowship applauds the President and the members of the Senate and House for reaching this agreement and taking a substantial step forward for justice," said James Ackerman, president and CEO of Prison Fellowship.  "Now it is critical for Members of the Senate to act in a swift manner to pass this amended bill."

"A vote against this bill is a vote against public safety, religious liberty, and our deeply held belief in redemption," said Craig DeRoche, senior vice president of advocacy and public policy. "This legislation will help people transform their behavior and lives while they are incarcerated and this will make our communities safer, lead to more success and less crime. Prison Fellowship believes this bill can pass with an overwhelming bipartisan vote and that the enactment of the FIRST STEP Act will pave the way for more values-driven reforms to come."

The bipartisan prison reform legislation would improve programming in federal prisons that will better prepare men and women to become productive citizens through individualized risk assessments by expanding recidivism-reducing programs for all federal prisoners. The sentencing reforms added to the legislation would make minor adjustments to correct disproportional sentencing enhancements and increase judicial discretion in certain federal drug offense cases.