ABC News: Supporters of criminal justice reform bill warn of 'poison pills' as legislation heads for Senate floor
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But backers of the legislation, known as the First Step Act, say the amendments are actually designed to effectively kill the bill, which they say already excludes violent offenders from early release, and would disincentive prisoners from participating in anti-recidivism programming by giving wardens ultimate veto power in determining a prisoner’s fate.
Holly Harris, a conservative strategist who has been pushing for the bill’s passage in her role as the Executive Director of Justice Action Network, says the Cotton amendments are “not based in reality.”
“This is a person who truly doesn’t understand the prison system. There has to be some incentive to participate in this programming,” Harris said. “This is not a good faith effort but an effort to destroy the bill.”