Today more than 2.3 million Americans are incarcerated. A large number of those individuals are in prison for violations of our nation's drug laws. It is troubling that a disproportionate percentage of our nation's inmates are minorities, and the crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity is a major cause of this difference.

I have cosponsored the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009 to address this issue in a comprehensive fashion. This legislation would create a blue-ribbon commission to carry out an 18-month review of our entire criminal justice system. At the end of this review, the Commission will recommend steps to reduce the incarceration rate by improving responses to gang violence, reforming drug policies, improving treatment of mental illness, and establishing a system for prisoner reentry.

We also need to continue to explore and fund prevention programs that may contribute to a long-term solution. The peak hours for juvenile violence are between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on school days, a period when many children are unsupervised. By funding after-school programs and providing children with the necessary skills to resist substance abuse and violence, we can keep them out of prison. During my time in the Senate, I have worked to provide funding to local school districts for the development of model programs to reduce and prevent violence.

These steps can help us address the problems in our prisons and reduce the number of young people who turn to a life of drugs, crime, violence, and ultimately, prison.

As the Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, I will continue to work to improve our criminal justice system.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please feel free to stay in touch.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
April 29, 2009