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Justice Reform Is At An Historic Crossroad
Bob Barr Bob Barr for TOWNHALL

While professional athletes like second-string NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick engage in immature “protests” over some perceived peeve with our country’s criminal justice system, Republicans in Congress are diligently working to meaningfully improve America’s justice system. Whether they succeed in their historic effort, however, remains up in the air and its future may very well be decided this week.

Currently, three bills pending in the U.S. House – the Sentencing Reform Act, the Recidivism Risk Reduction Act, and the Criminal Code Improvement Act — remain backed by bipartisan coalitions both inside and outside the government. As anyone who has maintained even a passing acquaintance with congressional goings-on in recent years knows, cooperation between Left and Right on any issue is unusual; and something that is extremely rare on a matter as substantive as criminal justice reform.

While the “social justice” movement espoused by far Left radicals like Black Lives Matter has poisoned much of the public debate surrounding justice reform, genuine criminal justice reform lead by Republicans in the House and Senate, is a truly worthy cause that all conservatives should support. As highlighted recently in remarks by FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon in support of the proposals, “Our justice system is in crisis. Our prison populations and budgets have ballooned out of control. Americans are being crippled by sentences disproportional to their crime. Our system should rehabilitate and reform those in need, not warehouse nonviolent offenders and burden our nation.”

Far more than in the past, support for criminal justice reform among conservatives is growing; with many of the reforms touching on principles long-favored by conservatives. For example, even as the current proposed reforms strengthen due process rights – a principle not always championed by traditional conservatives – at the same time they would begin to reverse the trend toward systemic over-criminalization that long has bothered conservatives, and which distracts police officers from pursuing real criminal activity such as violent crimes.

Also, the reforms incorporated in the pending legislation would help to keep families together; a benefit conservatives have argued for years would dramatically help reduce poverty and steer young people away from future criminal behavior. And, perhaps most important to conservatives, the Sentencing Reform Act alone is estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to save $769 million in taxpayer funds, by finally addressing prison overcrowding.

Criminal justice reform truly is a historic win for conservative values. Unfortunately, this is precisely why its critics resort to fear-mongering, not facts, in attempting to derail this landmark effort.

One need only look to several conservative states that have enacted similar criminal justice reform bills, to see the benefits of what is now being proposed nationally. States including Georgia, Texas, and South Carolina have witnessed significant drops in incarceration rates and criminal recidivism, as a direct result of state-level criminal justice reforms. Taxpayers in these states have enjoyed the added benefit of saving millions of dollars that would otherwise be spent on a broken system. “Texas used to spend billions locking people up for minor offenses,” former Texas Governor Rick Perry, who helped spearhead reform in his state, remarked on his efforts. “We implemented common sense policies that made not only Texas tough, but also smart on crime.”
Perry justifiably calls these results “extraordinary,” noting that already the crime rate in the Lone Star State has dropped to its lowest levels since 1968, while saving its taxpayers nearly $2.0 billion.

This is why the efforts now underway in Congress, spearheaded by GOP leaders Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, are so critical. The current prison crisis worsens with each new inmate added to the federal prison system by an outdated sentencing structure that allows for little, if any discretion for judges to differentiate between drug kingpins and non-violent, low level offenders. And, with more than 4,000 federal criminal laws on the books already, and countless more overlapping regulatory and state laws, criminal justice reform reduces the risk that innocent and otherwise non-violent offenders will be swept into the ruinous criminal justice system that should be focusing on the truly heinous criminals.

We stand at the crossroads of a truly historic moment in America, in which a decades-overdue overhaul of the criminal justice system promises to make our country a far better place in which to pursue the American dream. The conservative case for sentencing reform is clear, and the time for action is now.

Holly’s House, a local child and adult victim advocacy center, has hired Charlene Wiethop as a prevention educator. Before coming to Holly’s House, Wiethop was employed by South Terrace and North Elementary Schools. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern Indiana.

Holly’s House Executive Director, Sidney Hardgrave, said, “Charlene’s experience in the classroom, and her professional and caring attitude works well in engaging and teaching elementary students the “Think First & Stay Safe” child abuse prevention program. She is very thorough in her presentation of the curriculum, and we are pleased to have Charlene as our newest member of the Holly’s House staff.

Holly’s House is a non-residential child and adult advocacy center providing services for victims of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault in Southwest Indiana.  The mission of the organization is to empower victims of intimate crime and abuse by providing support, promoting justice and preventing violence. For more information, please visit www.hollyshouse.org.

Students in the Public Safety Program at the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center now have a fire truck to use for hands-on training thanks to Alcoa Warrick Operations. On Tuesday, Alcoa Plant Protection Chief Harold Grossman and Location Manager, Warrick Operations, Jeff Boris, officially handed over the keys to the fully equipped fire truck to SICTC Public Safety Instructor Rick Schnautz.

“This fire truck will really help give our students real-world training and give them a leg up when they graduate if they want to pursue a career in public safety,” Schnautz said. “It will give them the opportunity to get familiar with the equipment used on fire trucks as well as the equipment used for Jaws of Life.”

The fire truck is officially being retired from use at Alcoa Warrick Operations, and because of Alcoa’s long commitment and support of SICTC, the decision was made to donate the truck to the program.

Indianapolis – At a press conference this morning, state agency leaders—including Higher Education Commissioner Teresa Lubbers, Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Steve Braun, and Department of Veteran Affairs Director Jim Brown—joined representatives from Indiana colleges to outline efforts to assist the more than 1,000 students and 662 employees affected by the closure of ITT Technical Institute.

“After the abrupt closure of ITT Technical Institute, I directed the Commission for Higher Education and the Department of Workforce Development to work together to help the students now displaced from their education programs,” said Governor Pence. “I’m proud to say that our agencies took swift action and have partnered with five Indiana colleges to help ensure these students have opportunities to continue their studies. It is my hope that affected students will find that our state agencies and many Indiana colleges around the state are ready and willing to help each student find the solution that’s right for them.”

The Cabinet officials were joined by leaders from Ivy Tech Community College, WGU Indiana, Indiana Wesleyan University, Harrison College and Oakland City University to share plans to protect the financial and academic welfare of the former ITT students.

“Hoosier students come first. In directing our agencies to lead this coalition, Governor Pence and I have ensured that a gameplan exists to not only protect the interest of ITT students in Indiana, but to provide them all the information they will need to make the best possible decisions for their futures,” said Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb. “We have already called upon the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to reinstate used GI Benefits for our servicemen and women, and the State will continue to aggressively pursue every possible tool to make this transition a smooth one for all our students.”

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education has posted information on its homepage (che.in.gov) to serve as a starting point for students with questions about their options moving forward. Resources include students’ financial options as well as information and contacts for the Indiana colleges partnering to help ITT students determine the best options for continuing their postsecondary educations.

“We must ensure the students affected by ITT’s closure don’t lose their resolve to earn a postsecondary education,” Commissioner Lubbers said. “A variety of opportunities exist to finish their degree or credential, and Indiana’s colleges are committed to working directly with these students to help them achieve their aspiration for higher education.”

Ivy Tech Community College President Sue Ellspermann announced Ivy Tech’s efforts and partnership with Indiana colleges to host statewide events at Ivy Tech campuses where ITT Technical Institute students can come and meet with representatives from all participating colleges to explore opportunities for continuing their degrees. The first of these events will be held 4-7 p.m. (EDT) Wednesday, September 28, 2016, at the Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis campus. Details are available at www.ivytech.edu/itt.

“These students live and work in our communities, and as the state’s community college we are committed to reaching out and assisting them in achieving their educational goals,” President Ellspermann said. “We are doing this in partnership with other institutions of higher education around the state to ensure these students are presented with all of their options.”

On Friday, September 9, 2016, Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Lt. Governor Eric Holcomb sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald to request that the VA fully reinstate the GI Bill benefits of veterans who used their benefits at ITT Technical Institute during the current calendar year but have not yet obtained a degree or credential.

“Indiana’s veterans should not be unfairly penalized for ITT’s abrupt closure,” Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs Director Jim Brown said. “That’s why I joined with Governor Pence and Lt. Governor Holcomb to ensure we fulfill our promise of a higher education for these men and women to whom we owe a great debt for their dedicated to service to our country.”

The state is also taking steps to support the 662 employees at ITT Tech’s six Indiana campuses and corporate office in Carmel. Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Commissioner Steve Braun outlined the agency’s Rapid Response efforts to assist displaced ITT Tech employees in the five affected regions of the state. Rapid Response teams are reaching out to employees to connect them with local employment opportunities as well as providing resume assistance, interview workshops, and skills assessments.

“ITT Tech’s closure brings a lot of questions and uncertainty from employees, students and the community at large,” said Braun. “Our goal is to address those concerns by pairing displaced employees with knowledgeable WorkOne staff to guide them toward a plan for re-employment as soon as possible.”

Resources for Students

• Visit www.che.in.gov to access all resources and information in one location.

• Transcripts: Students who have been affected by the ITT closure may access unofficial transcripts and records through ITT’s website and should submit a formal request for their official transcript through the Indiana Archives and Records Administration.

• Loan Forgiveness: Some ITT students may be eligible to have their federal loans discharged. Students should go directly to the US Department of Education website to learn about eligibility and steps required to apply for a closed-school loan discharge.

• Adult Scholarships and Resources: For adult learners, Indiana’s You Can. Go Back. initiative provides $1,000 scholarships and a college-match app to help adult Hoosiers find the right program for their unique needs and aspirations. Learn more at YouCanGoBack.org.

• Learn More Indiana: Students should explore their options carefully before deciding to enroll and invest in a postsecondary program. There are many resources available to help Hoosiers make the best decisions aligned to their personal goals, financial situations and scheduling needs.LearnMoreIndiana.org is a State-sponsored online resource for Hoosier students to learn about different college programs and potential return on investment one, five and ten years after graduating