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LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

The Senate Report (S. Rept. 116-127) accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-93) states, “The Committee directs the Department and BOP to fully and expeditiously implement the First Step Act (FSA or Act) (Public Law 115–391), and authorizes $75,000,000 in new, dedicated funding for this purpose. While the Committee was encouraged by the Department’s progress in both establishing the Independent Review Committee and providing Congress with the outline of the Risk and Needs Assessment tool by the statutory deadline, the Department must fulfill the law’s other requirements no later than the deadlines established by the Act, including the completion of the initial intake risk and needs assessment for each inmate in the population through the Risk and Needs Assessment tool, the assignment of prisoners to appropriate evidence-based recidivism reduction programs based on that determination, and the establishment of additional earned time credits. The Department is directed to report to both the Committees on Appropriations and Judiciary, within 90 days of enactment of this act, and every 90 days thereafter, on all actions and expenditures to implement the FSA, including activities, expenditures and resource requirements to develop, implement, review, validate, and maintain the risk and needs assessment and to evaluate and provide evidence-based recidivism reduction programs and productive activities.” The following information is provided to address the Committee’s request for the first 90-day period after enactment of the FY 2020 appropriation.

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Visit "https://firststepact-irc.org/":https://firststepact-irc.org/ to learn more about the First Step Act Independent Review Committee.