The US Congress is hoping to pass a new bill that will help inmates get credits while inside jail. The government will provide rehabilitation programs to the prisoners to give them credits that will help them find a job when released.
The government officials do not want inmates keep coming back to prison cell so they thought of a new bill that would keep them away. USA News stated that the House Judiciary Committee, on Thursday, approved the bipartisan legislation. It will provide job training, extra classes, community service and behavioral treatment to all inmates. It will bring them new life as they can change their old ways and improve for the better. It will center more on those inmates who have bigger chances of changing.
Business Insider reported that Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte said "The bill places a new focus on rehabilitation, not just punishment and incarceration". He is the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee who is now focused on rehabilitating the prisoners rather than punishing them. Those prisoners who have heavier crimes and sentence will not be eligible of this program. It will focus more on those with light crimes like the non-violent offenders. It will also help pregnant inmates and the old ones to have a chance at life.
According to The Hill, there are many people and government officials who support the bill. The president has long wanted reforms in the justice system of the United States to happen. They think that people with lower sentence like drug offenders should just go to those rehabilitation programs and study or take job training than waste their time in prisons. A recent poll result approved of less jail time for drug offenders and some even wants the jail time to be removed all in all.
The main goal of this bill is to lessen the inmates in US federal prison. It also wants to reduce those criminals who keep coming back to prison with the same offend. Tax money will be saved and more people will be useful when rehab programs like this will happen.
