U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Working to Create National Criminal Justice Commission

Statement

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today helped reintroduce the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, bipartisan legislation that would task a National Criminal Justice Commission to assess the entire system and propose reforms to address the most pressing issues facing the nation's criminal justice system.

"Our criminal justice system needs a top-to-bottom review to ensure we're doing everything we can to promote public safety, reduce crime and lower recidivism rates in Wisconsin and around the country," said Senator Baldwin. "This bipartisan effort is an important step in the right direction to keep our communities safe and make the criminal justice system more just and fair."

The legislation, led by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John Cornyn (R-TX), would create a 14-member, bipartisan National Criminal Justice Commission charged with completing an 18-month, comprehensive review of the national criminal justice system, including federal, state, local and tribal criminal justice systems, and issuing recommendations for changes in oversight, policies, practices and laws to reduce crime, increase public safety and promote confidence in the criminal justice system.

The Commission would be made up of Presidential and Congressional appointees, including experts on law enforcement, criminal justice, victims' rights, civil liberties and social services. The Commission would also provide a better understanding of community relationships with law enforcement and the administration of justice through our court system, and identify effective policies to address a broad range of issues in the criminal justice system including crime reduction, incarceration and prisoner reentry.

The last comprehensive review of the criminal justice system was conducted in 1965 when President Lyndon Johnson created the Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice. The 1965 Commission's report offered over 200 recommendations that have shaped the current criminal justice system, including the creation of the 9-1-1 system establishment of research organizations like the Bureau of Justice Statistics and improved training and professionalization for law enforcement.

The National Criminal Justice Commission Act is supported by a broad coalition of criminal justice organizations, including law enforcement and criminal justice reform advocates.

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