By Noah Sueder

The First Step Act is a major piece of criminal justice legislation that transformed the federal Bureau of Prisons. It passed December 18, 2018, by a vote of 87-12 in the 115th Congress of Republican-majority.

Because most face conviction for non-violent drug offenses, (46% according to the BOP), the bill was built to provide faster release for non-violent offenders. The bill also brings inmates closer to their families, faster, with additional rules in place to curb family separation in the American prison system; an underreported tragedy far more important than illegal immigration.

Popular support of the legislation came in large part from respected civil rights leaders such as Dr. Alveda King and Angela Stanton, founding members of the American King Foundation, an organization dedicated to criminal justice reform & societal reentry.

Most of the bill’s content was the result of years of negotiation and legal work between the offices of the legendary President pro tempore Chuck Grassley, Senator Dick Durbin (his real name), and Senator Mike Lee.

The bill largely takes research from successful studies performed by California prisons, no doubt a brilliant connection made by the bill’s chief author, and First Step-son Jared Kushner.

The First Step Act enacted the following changes to the prison system;

Bans shackling of pregnant and post-birth women.

Ensures people are placed in facilities within 500 driving miles from their families.

Creates an Earned Time Credit system that allows people to earn 10 days of credit for every 30 days of program accomplishment.

Allows “Good Time” accredited inmates to leave prison early to serve in halfway houses, home confinement, or on community supervision.

Compels the Bureau of Prisons to match individual needs to programs, training, and services, so men and women return home job-ready .

Provides an ID card for every person when they are released.

Released 4,000 people immediately due to retroactive “Good Time” credits. Rider Legislation (Add-on Components)

Fair Sentencing Act : Gives 3,000 people serving outdated sentences for crack cocaine charges a pathway to freedom, works retroactively for people sentenced before 2010.

924c Stacking : Ended the mandatory stacking of sentences in cases where firearms were possessed but not used in the crime. Allows gun charges to be served at the same time instead of consecutively.

mandatory stacking of sentences 3 Strike Removal: Reduces the mandatory life sentence for third-time drug offenders to 25 years, and the 20-year mandatory sentence for second-time drug offenders to 15 years.

The First Step Act has also had ripple effects, Senators around the country looking for ideas to take from the legislation back to their homestates. “How do we take those ideas that have already seen positive support while they were in Congress, and bring those ideas to Florida?” Senator Jeff Brandes from Florida wrote in the Tampa Bay Times January 23rd, 2019.

Being passed in the House in the earlier half of 2018, the bill truly was the last great bi-partisan accomplishment of the 115th Congress. The legislation was a great going away present, and certainly something of great historical significance, despite the lack of MSM coverage.

The Democrats in power today, instead of improving the civil welfare, decide to push for gun control, and national “free abortion” laws not unlike the “Abortion Up-To-9-Weeks” bill recently passed in New York state, which allows a pregnancy to be legally terminated at anytime.

We can only hope the 116th Congress will be as fruitful as its predecessor, though with the House of Representatives now under Democrat Leadership, overcoming stalemates and one-sided negotiations may prove difficult for Republicans, regardless of whatever goodwill is intended – sounds familiar.

The full body of legislation for the First Step Act can be viewed here .