U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), who serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, marked the seventh anniversary of the First Step Act during a speech on the Senate floor. The legislation, passed in December 2018 with bipartisan support and signed into law by President Trump, was designed to reform sentencing laws and provide incarcerated individuals with opportunities to reenter society.
Durbin said, “This December marks the seventh anniversary of the passage of the First Step Act—the most significant reform to our criminal justice system in a generation. That victory was born out of years of bipartisan negotiations led by myself and my colleagues, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, and Senator Mike Lee of Utah. The end result was—and continues to be—life-changing for the people who were impacted. The First Step Act delivered much-needed reforms to our outdated sentencing laws and provided opportunities for incarcerated Americans to safely reenter their communities. Those reforms have reduced populations in overcrowded prisons, reunited families, and revitalized the communities these men and women reenter as productive neighbors. And the evidence backs that up.”
According to Durbin, more than 40,000 people had been released under the law through January 2024. He noted that just under 10 percent had been rearrested—a rate significantly lower than the Bureau of Prisons’ overall recidivism rate of about 45 percent.
Durbin shared personal stories illustrating why he supports criminal justice reform. He recounted Eugenia Jennings’ experience: “In prison, she was a model for others. She took all the courses available to her, overcame her addiction, and talked to students about the dangers of drug addiction. Sadly, while she was incarcerated, she developed leukemia. I asked President Barack Obama, my former colleague in the Senate, to commute Eugenia’s sentence, and he did just that… Eugenia was released just in time to see her oldest daughter graduate from high school. I cannot tell you the joy in her voice when she told me that. She passed away two years later, but her story has lived on—and served as a driving force behind my efforts to reform our federal drug sentencing laws. Eugenia’s story led me to meet more individuals whose lives were forever altered by unfair sentencing laws—including Matthew Charles.”
He also spoke about Matthew Charles: “While in prison, he worked as a GED tutor and a law library clerk, in addition to mentoring younger people. He helped other incarcerated individuals who could not read to understand their letters and court documents, and he drafted filings for them. In 21 years in prison, Matthew did not receive a single disciplinary infraction.After Matthew’s conviction and sentence, Congress passed a law I wrote, called the Fair Sentencing Act, which reduced the disparity in sentencing between crack and powder cocaine offenses. But the law was not retroactive,” Durbin said. “When Eugenia and Matthew were sentenced, the hands of their sentencing judges were tied—because Congress severely limited a judge’s discretion to impose an individualized sentence and instead mandated overly-harsh one-size-fits-all penalties. The First Step Act took one giant step toward correcting that unfair system. Among other reforms, it made the Fair Sentencing Act retroactive. Matthew Charles was one of the first people released from prison after the First Step Act became law.”
Durbin announced new bipartisan legislative proposals introduced this week with U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee: “But, as the name of the First Step Act suggests, it is just that—one first step. There is more to be done. To make our justice system fairer and our communities safer we must continue reforming our sentencing laws in a smart way,” Durbin said.
He concluded his remarks stating: “The First Step Act’s passage was a glimmer of bipartisanship in a political arena… and its success shows what we can accomplish on behalf of the American people when we put aside our differences and come to table with reasonable approaches. We need evidence-backed solutions to reduce crime and make our communities safer.So as we celebrate this anniversary I will continue work with my colleagues reform outdated sentencing laws.Let's rekindle spirit bipartisanship get something done Senate… Together,we can reduce crime improve justice system make communities safer.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee plays an important role in shaping federal legislation related to constitutional protections and public safety through its legislative work and oversight responsibilities across judicial matters nationwide.
Durbin has long supported efforts aimed at addressing inequities within America’s criminal justice system; he previously sponsored legislation such as 2010’s Fair Sentencing Act which reduced disparities between crack cocaine versus powder cocaine offenses.
The Senate Judiciary Committee operates within Washington D.C., reviews criminal justice legislation like these reforms mentioned above,and is composed senators both major parties.The committee oversees legal matters,federal agencies,and civil rights issues nationwide.
