Legislation Proposes Review Of Criminal Justice System
Press Release
Today, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-CA) joined Reps. Bill Delahunt (D-MA), Marcia Fudge (D-OH), Tom Rooney (R-FL), and Bobby Scott (D-VA) to introduce H.R. 5143, the "National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2010." H.R. 5143 would create a bi-partisan commission to review the nation's criminal justice system and recommend changes to improve costs, reduce crime and violence.
"Our justice system is expensive, makes mistakes and too often fails to shield the public from dangerous criminals," Issa said. "The opportunity to learn lessons from past failures, along with the promise of new technologies and systems, makes conducting a high-level examination of our justice system a worthwhile effort. There is certainly room to correct shortcomings while preserving the pillars of our legal system, and I am also pleased to work with my colleagues on both sides of the isle to push this bipartisan commission."
The National Criminal Justice Commission would undertake a comprehensive 18-month review of the criminal justice system, encompassing federal, state, local, and tribal criminal justice policies and practices. The Commission will publish its recommendations in a final report to the President, Congress, state, local, and tribal governments and be made available to the public.
The majority and minority leaderships in the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as the President will select the fourteen members of the Commission. Appointments in the House and Senate will be made in consultation with the Judiciary Committee Chairmen and Ranking members.
The bill has received widespread bi-partisan support with 37 cosponsors in the Senate as well as the endorsement of approximately 100 organizations.
H.R. 5143 was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Delahunt this week and was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. Rep. Issa is the lead Republican cosponsor.
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