Lake County Gazette

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) recently hosted a press conference to promote a landmark bipartisan bill that could reform U.S. criminal justice policy by addressing mass incarcerations from minority communities.

The bill, known as the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015, also is designed to relieve overcrowded prisons, curb recidivism and redirect funds to more pressing law enforcement efforts.

Minorities are disproportionately incarcerated compared with other communities, and these mass incarcerations weigh heavily on law enforcement finances, Durbin said. To address this problem, Durbin and a bipartisan team of senators want to modernize federal drug-sentencing policies to grant federal judges more autonomy in sentencing low-level, non-violent drug crimes.

“Mandatory minimum sentences were once seen as a strong deterrent,” Durbin said. “In reality they have too often been unfair, fiscally irresponsible and a threat to public safety. Given tight budgets and overcrowded prison cells, our country must reform these outdated and ineffective laws that have cost American taxpayers billions of dollars. This bill is the best chance in a generation to make meaningful changes in our federal drug-sentencing laws. We cannot squander it. Congress should pass this bipartisan legislation to relieve our overcrowded prisons, help keep our communities safe and ensure the integrity of our justice system.”