Congressional Black Caucus

Floor Speech

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Is there any particular State that you think does a better job that we can hold up as a role model?

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. There are 30 States that have reduced crime and saved money. Texas was one of the first because they were looking at a $2 billion appropriation request to keep up with the slogans and sound bites that they had enacted in mass incarceration. At the rate they were going, they needed $2 billion in prison construction.

They decided instead to invest it in prevention programs so fewer kids were getting in trouble; early intervention programs so that once people got in a little trouble, they wouldn't get in worse trouble; and rehabilitation in prisons so that as people got out, they were less likely to come back. They found that they not only didn't have to spend any of the $2 billion building prisons, they were able to close some of the prisons they had.

Texas is a red State, and they called their initiative ``Right on Crime.'' Using the word ``right'' in both words is correct, and from the political right. So you had conservatives investing their money appropriately, reducing crime, and saving money.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. That is fantastic.

I know in my district, we have held some roundtables, and some of my employers, manufacturers, they shared that they did hire people who were in prison and were some of their best employees because they are so grateful that someone gave them a chance. We really need to promote that and highlight those things.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. The second chance idea is that people who get out of prison ought to be supported. The little money you spend on support pales in consideration to what usually happens. They get out, they can't find a job, they can't do anything, and they are right back into prison at $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 a year. If you spend a little bit of money supporting them, they might not come back.

One of the elements the President talked about today is the ``ban the box.'' When you fill out an application, there is a little box, ``Have you ever been convicted of a felony?'' If you check the box, that is the end of the interview.

What the ban the box is suggesting is don't talk about the criminal record at first. Go through the process so you can present your credentials. Then, at the end of the process, they can discuss criminal record, but not at the beginning.

You will find that many people, the conviction is so far past. Studies have shown that after a few years, if you have got a clean record, the chance of you committing a crime isn't any higher than the general population. So if it is a 15-year-old nonviolent offense, well, maybe it is not relevant; and maybe your credentials are so much better than everybody else's that you are the right person for the job, but you never would have had the opportunity to present your credentials if you had to check the box.

So all around the country, cities, States, and businesses are eliminating that box to check, talking to people and seeing if they are actually qualified for the job, and those that are qualified can get the job. Obviously, some violations, if you have got an embezzlement charge and you are trying to get a job in a bank, or child molestation at a daycare center, you know, but a lot of them, if it is a 20-year-old marijuana possession charge or something like that, compared to your credentials, compared to everybody else head and shoulders, well, people can overlook a 20-year-old conviction. You never would have gotten to that point if you had to check the box. That is why the ban the box campaign is so important.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. That is a good idea we have now in Illinois.

Thank you, Representative. I really appreciate you taking the time and sharing your vast knowledge about this topic.

Mr. Speaker, many of the families that we represent believe that the only and right way to save our communities and secure our better future is to enact laws that actually understand the needs of American families, regardless of circumstance, and invest in their future.

This Congress must have a frank conversation about what those investments are and vote for policies that will truly save our communities. And this conversation has to be a bipartisan conversation, not just a Congressional Black Caucus or Democratic conversation.

Mr. Speaker, I am reminded that today our colleague, the Honorable Donald Payne, Jr., of New Jersey could not be here because he was asked to be with the President. President Obama visited Congressman Payne's district to discuss criminal justice reform, as you heard a little bit about already.

As many of you know, earlier today, President Obama spoke of his intent to make significant reforms in the criminal justice space; and in keeping with the message of ``saving our communities,'' the reforms the President is championing are necessary. I thank the President for his efforts.

I want to take just a moment to say that I appreciate the fact that over on the other side of the Hill, a bipartisan coalition of Senators, led by my Congressional Black Caucus colleague, Senator Cory Booker, as well as my home State Senator, the Honorable Dick Durbin, and men willing to cross the aisle, like Senator Mike Lee of Utah, were able to come together to introduce comprehensive legislation aimed at recalibrating prison sentences for certain drug offenders, targeting violent criminals, and granting judges greater discretion at sentencing for low-level drug crimes. Their sentencing reform legislation helps to curve recidivism by helping prisoners successfully reenter society.

These are just small components of an overall strategy to help save communities, but they are critical ones nonetheless.

Here are the facts. More than half a million people leave U.S. prisons each year with jobs, housing, and mental health services scarce. Many are soon to be back behind bars.

Like the President said, many of us in the Congressional Black Caucus are calling on community stakeholders to break the cycle of incarceration by helping former inmates successfully reenter society.

So tonight's Special Order hour is an opportunity that comes on the heels of the President's New Jersey visit, a visit where he toured a drug treatment center called the Integrity House, and recognized its work in helping former inmates secure housing, jobs, and skills needed to transition to life outside of prison. I have a place like that in Illinois called the Safer Foundation that does much of the same work.

As the President noted, everyone has a role to play in criminal justice reform and reintegrating those who have served time in prison back into society. From businesses that are hiring ex-offenders to philanthropies that are supporting education and training programs, we have to get to work getting ex-offenders back on their feet so they can help build up their communities.

Mr. Speaker, this Congress has to have the astuteness and manpower in its ranks to recognize that we must do more, that it will take a village, and it takes real leadership to improve the plight of America's communities. This means we need jobs legislation that offers opportunity. This means we need safe streets free of violence. This means we need community policing that brings us peace of mind and comfort.

I feel compelled in this conversation about communities to say that, as a representative of the Chicagoland area and as a co-chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, Congress must get over its fear of talking about violence in America. We have to do more than hold moments of silence when tragedies occur. We have to stop being silent and start acting. We don't have to be enemies on this subject.

The issues of gun violence and police violence in our communities are real. It is how we respond to the problems that exist in these areas that will show our strength as a country. Right now, the tragic occurrences that exist with respect to these issues only serve as barriers to our growth as a nation.

When I talk about gun violence, I always start out by reminding folks of a few things.

First, it is important to realize that gun violence isn't just an urban problem; it is an American problem. In the last 50 years, more than 1 million people have been killed by guns in America.

Since 1968, more Americans have died from gunfire than died in all the wars of this country's history.

A young Black man is nearly 5 times more likely to be killed by a gun than a young White man, and 13 times more than an Asian American man.

If a Black person is killed by a gun, it is judged a homicide 82 percent of the time.

And keep in mind, from metal detectors in buildings to shooting safety drills at schools and movie theaters, gun violence has affected all of our communities, not only in terms of how we live, but whether we live at all.

And the irony is that, even with all this death and tragedy, this Congress can't even put a background check bill on the House floor, even with an NRA membership that is in 80 percent agreement that we need expanded background checks. Last Congress, even with about 190 cosponsors, the bill never came to the floor.

When I talk about saving our communities and discussing the actions of the police, I often remind people of this: the police are not our enemy. I won't ever say that because that simply is not the case.

To make our communities safer, we need the support of families, leaders, and our local law enforcement. I come from a family of law enforcement officers and know that our police ranks are filled with brave, well-intentioned, civic-minded heroes. Sadly, too many in the Black community don't have the same family experience that I have had with law enforcement and fear the police. I have a 31-year-old son, and even though the same police are in his family, he hasn't had the same experiences.

And, unfortunately, there are still too many police officers who harbor a level of fear when it comes to dealing with the Black community.

Mr. Speaker, we have discussed the aftermath of a few high-profile police events. I will repeat what I often say: we must hold our law enforcement officials to the highest professional standards and provide them with the training they need to effectively police diverse communities. This training must address the biases and stereotypes that influence decisions in the field and that create obstacles to mutual understanding. In working to achieve that understanding, we can strive toward a justice system that treats all Americans fairly and values all American lives equally.

Before I end, I just want to give my colleague the opportunity to share a few more words.

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