First Step Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I wish to voice my concern over the passage of the FIRST STEP Act, a bill that would reduce prison sentences for some Federal offenders, and to explain to the public why I did not vote for the bill.

First, I want to say that I agree with some of the provisions of the act.

For too long, we have been putting low-level drug offenders behind bars for exorbitant periods of time, without a focus on rehabilitation. This has ruined lives, irrevocably damaged our communities, and cost the taxpayer dearly.

I support data-driven antirecidivism programs. I support helping people who have served their time to lead productive lives. I support using our prisons as a place to punish violent perpetrators and serious drug offenders.

But this bill simply goes too far for the people of my State. What is happening currently in Alaska should serve as an example of the negative consequences resulting from a far-reaching criminal justice reform bill.

Let me spend a few minutes talking about Alaska's experience with criminal justice reform.

In 2016, then Governor Walker signed into a law a criminal reform bill, known in Alaska as SB91. The bill was similar to many similar bills passed in 30 States across the country.

It was more sweeping than the Federal bill we are debating today, but it has served as a model for this Federal bill in front of us.

Its main focus was on antirecidivism measures and reserving prison space for the truly dangerous criminals while showing leniency for certain ``low-risk offenders,'' just as the FIRST STEP Act does.

In some States, it has worked well, and I hope that the FIRST STEP Act works as those who supported it believe it will, but I am not convinced because, in my State, it hasn't.

Our criminal reform law hit Alaska right as we were going through a recession caused by low oil prices and the fact that the Obama administration locked up Alaska lands which hurt thousands of working men and women and their families.

It was also during this time that the opioid and drug crisis hit our State. Like many States across our country, my State has been hit hard, and we have been laser focused on it here in this body.

This trifecta--the passage of the State's criminal reform bill, a persistent recession, and the drug crisis--have resulted in mayhem in some of our communities in Alaska.

In Alaska, all crime is up 6 percent from last year and up 26 percent from 5 years ago. Let me give you some troubling statistics from Alaska's Uniform Crime Report: violent crime; up 6 percent from last year and up 35 percent from 5 years ago; property crime; up 5 percent from last year and up 23 percent from 5 years ago; and vehicle theft up 39 percent from 2016 to 2017.

According Kyle Hopkins from the Anchorage Daily News, who has done a great job reporting on this; car thieves, burglars, and shoplifters stole a staggering $45.3 million worth of property across Anchorage in 2017. Remember, Anchorage is a city of a population of less than 300,000--the number of cars stolen in Anchorage: 3,104 in 2017; the number of vehicle break-ins: 3,837 in 2017.

Much of this crime is fueled by the drug epidemic.

Like many States across the country, Alaska has been reeling from the opioid crisis and drug epidemic. Tragically, lives are being lost because of this epidemic. Opioid-related deaths doubled in Alaska in 2017. Fentanyl related deaths rose by 450 percent.

The amount of heroin seized in Alaska more than doubled in 2017, while the number of arrests actually decreased.

Law enforcement has been tracking lower 48 traffickers who continue to import increasing amounts of these drugs to take advantage of our unique enforcement challenges, especially in our rural communities.

Given the crime wave in my State, in many cases fueled by addictions, and our high rates of sexual assault and domestic violence, many of the provisions in this bill are deeply troublesome.

In the FIRST STEP Act, certain sexual and drug criminals could be eligible for expanded good time credits, meaning that they can get out of prison early. Criminals who are serving prison time for trafficking cocaine, heroin, or meth could get out early, so could those who assaulted a law enforcement officer and those who have committed certain violent assaults.

Perhaps most troubling, this bill would reduce enhanced sentencing for repeat drug offenders, including for methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl, three drugs that are more prevalent in my State.

The recent statistics in Alaska on drug seizures paint a grim picture about our drug crisis in my State. I cannot risk allowing these perpetrators, some of whom might make their way to Alaska, such leniency.

As I have said, we have been laser-focused on this drug issue here in the Senate. We have passed numerous bills to bring more resources to our States, billions of dollars of resources.

Back home, I have held numerous summits relating to this issue.

In August 2016, I convened the Alaska Wellness Summit: Conquering the Opioid Crisis, an important gathering of Federal, State, and local community leaders dedicated to tackling the many challenges associated with the growing opioid and heroin epidemic. That summit, which largely focused on issues of addiction, recovery, and community, was very productive, with hundreds of Alaskans gathering to listen, gain inspiration, learn and exchange ideas. Federal officials from several different agencies attended to hear the many obstacles Alaskans face when in recovery, as well as witness the indomitable spirit of Alaskans who have overcome those obstacles.

In August 2018, I held another wellness summit, this time focused not only on Alaska's addiction epidemic, but on drug trafficking and the associated crime wave that is victimizing so many Alaskans. The summit once again feature a prominent group of Federal, State, and local leaders and stakeholders to build public awareness, identify opportunities for coordination and cooperation, and highlight Alaska's unique public safety challenges with Federal officials.

We have grassroots, peer-to-peer networks across the State that are really beginning to make a difference.

We also have very active community members who are banding together to try to fight crime in their neighborhoods.

But we need a strong criminal justice system that continues to mete out punishments that fit the crime. We need, fair, strong deterrence.

We need the full strength of both the Federal and the State governments, working in tandem, to get drug dealers off the streets and punish violent reoffenders who are wreaking havoc in our communities.

Although I respect that motives of my colleagues--and I do believe that some reform is necessary--this bill goes too far.

When evaluating this bill, I could not ignore the realities of my State's current situation: spiking crime rates and an ongoing opioid and drug crisis. Voting to lessen prison time for any contributing offenders could compound the problem. I could not take that risk.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source