ONE OF THE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
LARGELY PUT ASIDE 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 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.
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.
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
LORI:
GOVERNOR LEE'S OFFICE HAS
INDICATED HE HAS BEEN MEETING
WITH COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO WILL
BE INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL
JUSTICE LEGISLATION.
BO:
STILL TO COME -
ZOO KNOXVILLE - CELEBRATING
