I'M JOSH SMITH..
ONE OF THE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
LARGELY PUT ASIDE IN
NASHVILLE BECAUSE OF THE
PANDEMIC THIS YEAR WAS
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
ITS A TOPIC LONG TALKED ABOUT BY
TENNESSEE
LAWMAKERS AND ITS LIKELY TO BE
AT THE TOP OF THEIR AGENDA
NEXT YEAR..
STATE CAPITOL NEWSROOM REPORTER
CHRIS BUNDGAARD
SPOKE TO THE HOUSE SPEAKER ABOUT
THE ISSUE...
CHRIS BUNDGAARD:
IN A FEW WORDS THIS WEEK, HOUSE
SPEAKER CAMERON SEXTON
DESCRIBES THE BROAD GOALS OF
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM--TOUGH
BUT FAIR.
( PKG )
334 YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE A
REVOLVING DOOR, YOU DON'T WANT
TO HAVE RECIDIVISM
--
S/REP.
CAMERON SEXTON/TN HOUSE SPEAKER:
332 BUT I THINK YOU NEED TO
HAVE...
TOUGH PUNISHMENT BUT YOU ALSO
NEED TO BE FAIR WHENEVER
THEY SERVE THEIR TIME AND THEY
COME OUT AND GIVE THEM THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
--
THAT'S THE BIG PICTURE FOR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM WHICH
HAS BEEN A TOPIC IN RECENT YEARS
FROM D-C TO TENNESSEE.
--
REP.
SAM WHITSON:
48 WE CANNOT CONTINUE DOING WHAT
WE HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE
PAST.
--
THOSE WORDS FROM A FRANKLIN STEP
REP LATE LAST YEAR AT THE
GROUNDBREAKING OF A HOME FOR
WOMEN EXITING INCARCERATION.
BUILDING MORE PRISONS MAY NOT BE
THE ANSWER SAY SOME
LAWMAKERS LIKE SAM WHITSON, BUT
WILL RESOURCES MUST BE MADE
AVAILBLE TO HELP NON-VIOLENT
OFFENDERS?
THAT'S THE DEBATE AHEAD SAYS THE
HOUSE SPEAKER.
--
SPEAKER:
318 THAT MEANS MAYBE SOME
ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING,
MAYBE HELPING THEM FIND A JOB
WHEN THEY COME
OUT...REHABILITATI
ON SERVICES.
--
THERE ARE LOFTY GOALS FOR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM BILLS
THAT GO RIGHT TO THE TOP.
HERE IS GOVERNOR BILL LEE LAST
DECEMBER ABOUT WHAT REFORMS
COULD ACCOMPLISH:
--
GOVERNOR:
108 IMPROVE OUR RECIDIVISM RATE
FOR ONE AND LOWER OUR CRIME
RATE AT THE SAME TIME.
( LOOKLIVE )
CHRIS BUNDGAARD
IF COVID 19 LINGERS UNTIL NEXT
YEAR, IT WILL BE UNCERTAIN HOW
MUCH PROGRESS CAN BE MADE ON
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
REPORTING FROM THE STATE
CAPITOL, CHRIS BUNDGAARD
TAKING A LOOK NOW AT SOME OF THE
TOP STORIES WE'RE TRACKING
