Corrections and Recidivism Reduction Act of 2016
Latest action. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 704.
Corrections and Recidivism Reduction Act of 2016
TITLE I--RECIDIVISM RISK REDUCTION
Recidivism Risk Reduction Act
(Sec. 102) This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to: (1) develop a prisoner risk and needs assessment system; (2) develop recommendations regarding recidivism reduction programs and productive activities; and (3) conduct ongoing research regarding data analysis on best practices, needs assessment tools, and recidivism reduction programs.
(Sec. 103) The bill establishes requirements regarding the assessment system and DOJ's recommendations.
(Sec. 106) The bill amends the federal criminal code to establish procedures for implementation of the assessment system and DOJ's recommendations by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
TITLE II--RESTRAINTS ON PREGNANT PRISONERS PROHIBITED
(Sec. 201) With specified exceptions, the bill prohibits the use of restraints on federal prisoners who are pregnant or in postpartum recovery.
TITLE III--BUREAU OF PRISONS USE OF OLEORESIN CAPSICUM SPRAY
Eric Williams Correctional Officer Protection Act of 2016
(Sec. 302) The bill requires the BOP to issue oleoresin capsicum spray (pepper spray) to officers and employees who respond to emergency situations at high-security, medium-security, and administrative facilities. Officers and employees may use pepper spray to reduce violent acts by prisoners and visitors.
(Sec. 303) The Government Accountability Office shall: (1) evaluate the effectiveness of issuance of pepper spray issued pursuant to this bill and the advisability of its use in minimum- or low-security prisons, and (2) make recommendations to improve the safety of BOP officers and employees.
TITLE IV--BUREAU OF PRISONS SECURE FIREARMS STORAGE
Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Correctional Officer Self-Protection Act of 2016
(Sec. 403) The BOP must ensure that each chief executive officer of a federal penal or correctional institution: (1) allows qualified law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms beyond the institution's secure perimeter, and (2) either provides such officers with a secure firearm-storage area beyond the perimeter or allows them to store firearms in a BOP-approved vehicle lockbox.
TITLE V--MISCELLANEOUS
(Sec. 501) The BOP must incorporate specialized and comprehensive de-escalation training into its training programs.
The summary continues for 8 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to House with amendment(s)" stage on December 23, 2016. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on December 23, 2016: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 704.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 114th Congress (2015-16), 329 of the 10,233 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.2 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced it on February 5, 2015, and 25 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 17 Democrats, 8 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 5, 2015, 4235 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 3548 days ago, on December 23, 2016.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 114th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2017 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers