S. 2795 115th Congress Senate

FIRST STEP Act

Official title: A bill to provide for programs to help reduce the risk that prisoners will recidivate upon release from prison, and for other purposes.

Introduced: May 7, 2018 Introduced by: John Cornyn Republican · Texas See on congress.gov

Crime and Law Enforcement Accounting and auditingAdvisory bodiesAnimal protection and human-animal relationshipsCongressional oversight

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Correctional facilities and imprisonmentCriminal justice information and recordsCriminal procedure and sentencingDepartment of JusticeDisaster relief and insuranceDistrict of ColumbiaDrug therapyDrug trafficking and controlled substancesDrug, alcohol, tobacco useEmployment and training programsExecutive agency funding and structureFamily relationshipsFirearms and explosivesGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel managementGovernment studies and investigationsHigher educationJuvenile crime and gang violenceLaw enforcement officersLong-term, rehabilitative, and terminal careMental healthPublic contracts and procurementSex offensesSocial work, volunteer service, charitable organizationsTax-exempt organizationsVocational and technical educationWomen's health

Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

May 7, 2018

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR 5/9/2018 S2580-2581; text of measure as introduced: CR S2518-2527)

May 7, 2018

Introduced in Senate

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Latest action May 7, 2018

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR 5/9/2018 S2580-2581; text of measure as introduced: CR S2518-2527)

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person Act or the FIRST STEP Act

This bill amends various provisions of law and sets forth new provisions:

to require the Department of Justice to establish and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to implement a risk and needs assessment system to assess prisoner recidivism risk; guide housing, grouping, and program assignments; and incentivize and reward participation in and completion of recidivism reduction programs and productive activities;
to modify the computation of good time credit;
to allow federal correctional officers to securely store and carry concealed firearms on BOP premises outside the security perimeter of a prison;
to limit the use of restraints on federal prisoners who are pregnant or in postpartum recovery;
to require a prisoner to be placed at a facility not more than 500 driving miles away from the prisoner's primary residence;
to require low-risk prisoners to be placed on home confinement for the maximum amount of time permitted;
to reauthorize through FY2022 and modify eligibility for an elderly offender early release pilot program;
to require the BOP to help prisoners obtain identification documents prior to release, to incorporate de-escalation procedures into training programs, and to make tampons and sanitary napkins available free of charge;
to repeal the National Institute of Corrections;
to authorize Federal Prison Industries to sell products to additional markets;
to require probation and pretrial services officers to perform court-directed supervision of sex offenders conditionally released from civil commitment;
to require auditors who monitor compliance with national prison rape standards be certified; and
to require the BOP to establish pilot programs on youth mentorship and service to abandoned, rescued, or vulnerable animals.