At Hearing Norton Looks to Former MPD Chief Fulwood for Public Safety Upgrades (9/22/09)
At Hearing Norton Looks to Former MPD Chief Fulwood for Public Safety Upgrades as New USPS Chair
September 22, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) spoke at a hearing she requested today on preventing crime by District residents released from prison under the supervision of the U.S. Parole Commission. Norton, who requested the hearing by the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia on which she serves, heard testimony that showed the important role a federal agency has on improving public safety in a local jurisdiction, the District of Columbia. In the hearing, Norton revealed that this year, approximately six percent of the crimes were committed by offenders while on parole or supervised release, accounting for four percent of the arrests for violent crimes, three percent of the arrests on weapon charges, and six percent of drug arrests. Former MPD Police Chief Isaac Fulwood, appointed by President Barack Obama to chair the U.S. Parole Commission, testified about new techniques for reducing recidivism while enhancing public safety.
Norton said today's hearing follows this Subcommittee's work, still in progress, that is making changes in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which, like the U.S. Parole Commission, is accommodating a purely local function while carrying out its usual federal responsibilities. "The unprecedented local responsibility gives this federal agency important responsibility for public safety in the District of Columbia," Norton said in her opening statement. "Incarceration and re-incarceration are very expensive and have poor crime reduction records. Incarceration separates and strains families and communities and with little crime or recidivism reduction to show for it."
At the hearing Norton learned that a drug treatment program offered through the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) to men under supervision is not offered to women under supervision. She requested a proposal within 30 days for offering drug treatment to women on parole by January.
The Congresswoman's full opening statement is attached.
OPENING STATEMENT OF
ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON
HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FEDERAL WORKFORCE, POSTAL SERVICE AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The Local Role of the United States Parole Commission: Increasing Public Safety, Reducing Recidivism, and Using Alternatives to Re-incarceration in the District of Columbia
September 22, 2009
I thank Chairman Lynch for scheduling this hearing on the U.S. Parole Commission, the first since President Barack Obama appointed former D.C. Police Chief Isaac Fulwood, Jr. chair of the U.S. Parole Commission. The unprecedented local responsibility of the U.S. Parole Commission gives this federal agency important responsibility for public safety in the District of Columbia today. In 2009, approximately 6% of crimes have been committed by offenders while on parole or supervised release, accounting for 4% of violent arrests, 3% of weapon arrests, and 6% of drug arrests. While the Parole Commission is a federal agency, created by Congress in 1930, today it fits squarely within this Subcommittee's federal and District of Columbia jurisdiction. The 1997 National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act ("Revitalization Act"), among other things, transferred to the federal government some criminal justice state costs carried by the District of Columbia to help it recover from its most serious financial crisis, at the city's request, and created new responsibilities in two federal agencies as well- the Bureau of Prison (BOP) and the U.S. Parole Commission. The Parole Commission was given jurisdiction over D.C. Code felons and currently oversees 9,500 D.C. Code felons, and the Commission continues its jurisdiction over 2,500 federal parolees sentenced before federal parole was abolished, and who therefore are rapidly decreasing. In a few years, the Commission will have jurisdiction over no federal offenders, but will continue to have jurisdiction over approximately 7,000, mostly D.C. Code, felons now housed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons ("BOP"), as required by the Revitalization Act.
Previously, as a U.S. Parole Commissioner, and today as chair, Mr. Fulwood has introduced some important approaches at the Commission to assist the successful reentry of inmates to civil society in the District. We are interested in hearing about how existing and new approaches can meet the Commission's unique local responsibilities to the District of Columbia, to increase public safety and to reduce recidivism. One of these approaches is the "Reprimand Sanctions Hearing;" which are a collaborative effort between the Commission and the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), also a federal agency created by the Revitalization Act to monitor the behavior of residents released from the BOP. Releasees under the Commission's jurisdiction, who are being supervised by CSOSA and who have violated one or more conditions of their release, appear before the Commission to discuss their violations. The meetings can generate alternatives to re-incarcerating an offender for technical or minor violations. Sanctions meetings or hearings, with an official who has the authority to recommit the offender can result in sanctions short of re-incarceration and may help motivate him or her to comply with the terms of his or her release, while enhancing law enforcement by reinforcing the consequences of continued non-compliance and displaying concern for the offender's well-being. When the people under supervision have managed to find gainful employment, alternatives have the additional benefit of assuring that those under supervision are taxpayers rather than be burdens on society.
Today's hearing follows this Subcommittee's work, still in progress that is making changes in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which, like the U.S. Parole Commission, is accommodating a purely local function while carrying out its usual federal responsibilities. I have visited several BOP facilities and halfway houses for D.C. male or female inmates and I have had video conference town halls to hear from inmates, their families and D.C. residents. Importantly, because of this Subcommittee's hearings, D.C. inmates now have equal access to BOP's state-of-the-art 500-hour drug treatment program that offers reduction in sentences as an incentive for successful completion of the program.
This work has helped prepare us for the Commission's search for ways to protect public safety using existing and more modern and proven approaches. However, the serious changes the economy is undergoing is leading states to release inmates without thinking through careful alternatives. Incarceration and re-incarceration are very expensive and have poor crime reduction records. Incarceration separates and strains families and communities and with little crime or recidivism reduction to show for it. We are pleased to welcome all of today's witnesses and look forward to their testimonies
We hope to find new and better practices today.