Reason: A New Bill Would Stop the Feds From Tossing Drug Defendants in Prison Before They're Convicted
…
The bill has the support of criminal justice reform groups across the political spectrum. The American Civil Liberties Union, the Innocence Project, and the Drug Policy Alliance all support it, as does Americans for Prosperity, Justice Action Network, Americans for Tax Reform (federal pretrial detention costs taxpayers $18,615 per defendant), and FreedomWorks.
"At a time when pretrial detention is at a record high, COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly through our prisons and jails—creating a deadly situation where incarcerated people are twice as likely to die from this deadly pandemic," Holly Harris, president and executive director of Justice Action Network, said in a statement. "Our criminal justice system was in desperate need of reform well before COVID-19 hit, but it is now in a state of emergency. We urge members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to support this legislation and ensure that we take smart steps to reduce incarceration and save the lives of people in prisons, correctional workers, and our communities at large."