Abstract
In 2018, Congress passed the First Step Act ("FSA 2018"), which is considered one of the most applaudable efforts in modern history, aiming to reduce federal prison populations. While the Act has made progress in decreasing incarceration rates over the last few years, the pace of reform to reverse the nearly forty-year-long effect of the "War on Drugs" is slow. Past attempts, such as shortened sentences, provide a temporary solution but ultimately fail to keep the prisoner from reoffending.
A comprehensive evaluation of what produces significant results that would expedite the end of mass incarceration is timely due. This Note argues that future reform must focus its efforts on targeting rehabilitation over other traditional mechanisms. Specifically, fully implementing the FSA 2018's earned time credits and prison rehabilitation programs provides the necessary measures to affect meaningful solutions to a systematic problem. This Note concludes that by increasing opportunities to participate in prison programming that treats addiction, mental illness, and other diseases that may foster criminal behavior, the era of mass incarceration may finally end.
Recommended Citation
Madeline Todd,
One Step Further: Why Investing in Prison Programming and Treatment is Key to Passing Criminal Justice Reform,
47
S. Ill. U. L.J.
515
(2023).
Available at:
https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/siulj/vol47/iss3/16