November 5, 2013 | jcjusticecenter | 0 Comments

Collaborative Approaches to Public Safety

(Source: “Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold Oversight Hearing on Bureau of Prisons,” Council of State Governments Justice Center, 5 November 2013)

On Wednesday, November 6, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Oversight of the Bureau of Prisons & Cost-Effective Strategies for Reducing Recidivism.” The hearing, which will be chaired by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, is part of the committee’s regular oversight function and will also explore cost-effective ways to reduce recidivism. Members of Congress remain concerned about the amount spent on the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), as well as about overcrowding in federal prisons, and are looking for bipartisan, proven strategies to deal with the problem.

The hearing will include testimony from BOP Director Charles Samuels. The committee will also hear from John E. Wetzel, the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, and Representative John Tilley, the Chair of the Judiciary Committee in the Kentucky House of Representatives, about their experiences in reforming the criminal justice systems in their states how these efforts might be applied at the federal level.

Some of the most promising signs of progress in dealing with rising corrections costs and increased inmate populations have been in the states, with several showing reductions in statewide recidivism rates in recent years. While encompassing a wide variety of strategies, the states’ efforts show that recidivism reduction is possible with the implementation of policies and practices that focus on successful reentry. States such as Pennsylvania and Kentucky have successfully used “justice reinvestment” strategies to reduce corrections costs, revise sentencing policies, and increase public safety.

Member statements, witness testimony, and a live webcast will be available online on November 6th at 10:00 a.m. ET.

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Oversight of the Bureau of Prisons & Cost-Effective Strategies for Reducing Recidivism

Senate Judiciary Committee
Full Committee
View a webcast of this hearing
DATE: November 6, 2013
TIME: 10:00 AM
ROOM: Dirksen 226

OFFICIAL HEARING NOTICE / WITNESS LIST:

October 25, 2013

NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled a hearing entitled “Oversight of the Bureau of Prisons & Cost-Effective Strategies for Reducing Recidivism” for Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Senator Whitehouse to preside.

By order of the Chairman.

Witness List

Hearing before the
Senate Committee on the Judiciary

“Oversight of the Bureau of Prisons & Cost-Effective Strategies for Reducing Recidivism”

Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 226
10:00 a.m.

Panel I

Charles E. Samuels, Jr.
Director
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Washington, DC

Panel II

John E. Wetzel
Secretary
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Representative John Tilley
Chair, Judiciary Committee
Kentucky House of Representatives
Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Nancy G. La Vigne, Ph.D.
Director, Justice Policy Center
The Urban Institute
Washington, DC