>> Sreenivasan: IT'S RARE THESE
DAYS TO HEAR THAT DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS HAVE
FOUND COMMON GROUND ON JUST
ABOUT ANYTHING.
BUT THIS WEEK, THERE WAS
BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT ON A BILL
TO MAKE MAJOR CHANGES TO THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM,
ESPECIALLY FOR NON-VIOLENT DRUG
OFFENDERS.
THIS BILL HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE
MAKING.
THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED IT.
BUT ON THE EVE OF THE
COMMITTEE'S VOTE, ATTORNEY
GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS MADE IT
QUITE CLEAR HE DOES NOT SUPPORT
THIS BILL.
THAT HAS TRIGGERED AN UGLY WAR
OF WORDS, AND THE FATE OF THIS
BILL IS NOW VERY UNCERTAIN.
JOINING ME NOW WITH MORE IS
NPR'S JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT
CARRIE JOHNSON.
CARRIE, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S
IN THE BILL.
WHAT'S WORKING ITS WAY THROUGH
COMMITTEE.
WHAT DO THEY AGREE ON?
>> THREE MAIN ELEMENTS OF THIS
BILL.
ONE IS TO PUT MORE POWER, MORE
DISCRETION, IN THE HANDS OF
INDIVIDUAL JUDGES TO DETERMINE A
SENTENCE, BASED ON THE
INDIVIDUAL IN FRONT OF THEM.
SECOND, THIS IDEA THAT SOME OF
THE DRUG LAWS WERE MUCH MORE
PUNISHING IN THE PAST THAN THEY
ARE NOW, AND SO THERE'S A VALVE
IN THIS BILL THAT WOULD GIVE
ABOUT 3,000 PEOPLE THE ABILITY
TO PETITION A JUDGE FOR A
REDUCED SENTENCE, GETTING THEM
OUT OF PRISON EARLIER.
AND FINALLY, ANOTHER BUCKET THAT
WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE WHO ARE IN
FOR NON-VIOLENT OFFENCES TO GET
"GOOD TIME" CREDIT FOR TAKING
PROGRAMMING BEFORE THEY LEAVE
PRISON TO EASE THEIR RETURN TO
SOCIETY.
>> Sreenivasan: AND THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT LIBERALS AS WELL
AS LIBERTARIANS ARE IN AGREEMENT
ON?
>> YEAH, THERE'S BEEN AN UNUSUAL
CONSENSUS.
EVERYONE FROM KOCH INDUSTRIES
AND THE KOCH BROTHERS, TO THE
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION,
TO THE KATO INSTITUTE, HAS COME
TOGETHER OVER THE LAST FIVE
YEARS OR SO IN D.C. AROUND MAJOR
ELEMENTS OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AND THE NOTION THAT WE'RE
LOCKING UP TOO MANY PEOPLE AND
IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE, AND WE NEED
TO DO MORE TO PREPARE PEOPLE FOR
LIFE OUTSIDE PRISON, BECAUSE OF
COURSE, THAT 90% OF INMATES,
95%, EVENTUALLY LEAVE PRISON.
>> Sreenivasan: ALL RIGHT,
WHAT'S THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S
PRIMARY CONCERN?
>> THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SENT A
LETTER TO THE SENATE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE-- ON WHICH HE USED TO
SIT WHEN HE WAS A SENATOR--
EARLIER THIS WEEK.
JEFF SESSIONS SAYS HE HAS "GRAVE
CONCERNS" ABOUT THIS
LEGISLATION.
HE THINKS NOW, IN THE MIDST OF
AN OPIOID EPIDEMIC, IS THE WRONG
TIME, IN HIS VIEW, TO "GO SOFT
ON DRUG OFFENDERS," AND HE
THINKS THAT VIOLENT OFFENDERS
COULD BE RELEASED FROM PRISON
AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS
LEGISLATION.
THAT HAS BEEN ENORMOUSLY
CONTROVERSIAL.
>> Sreenivasan: AND THIS ALSO
PROVOKED A TWEET THAT I WANT TO
READ FROM.
CHUCK GRASSLEY, HE SAID:
"INCENSED BY SESSIONS LETTER, AN
ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE
GRASSLEY-DURBIN-LEE BIPARTISAN
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS.
THIS BILL DESERVES THOUGHTFUL
CONSIDERATION BEFORE MY
COMMITTEE.
A.G.s EXECUTE LAWS, CONGRESS
WRITES THEM."
THIS IS A PERSONAL AFFRONT TO
HIM.
>> IT WAS REMARKABLE, HARI.
CHUCK GRASSLEY SAID AT THE
HEARING THAT HE CONSIDERED JEFF
SESSIONS A FRIEND.
HE ACTUALLY WORKED VERY HARD TO
GET JEFF SESSIONS CONFIRMED AS
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
AND GRASSLEY SAID, LAST YEAR
WHEN THE PRESIDENT WANTED TO
FIRE JEFF SESSIONS OVER HIS
RECUSAL FROM THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION, GRASSLEY STUCK
HIS NECK OUT FOR JEFF SESSIONS,
AND THIS WAS NO WAY TO TREAT A
FRIEND.
IN FACT, EARLIER TODAY, I
CHECKED IN WITH GRASSLEY'S
OFFICE, GRASSLEY IS STILL ANGRY
AT JEFF SESSIONS.
HE SAID JEFF SESSIONS PROMISED
TO HELP HIM WITH THIS BILL, HE'S
GONE BACK ON HIS WORD, AND HE
NEEDS TO DO BETTER.
>> Sreenivasan: ALL RIGHT,
CARRIE JOHNSON OF NPR, THANKS SO
MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> MY PLEASURE.
