As the nation questions, the purpose of the American justice system — to punish or to rehabilitate — West Virginia emerged from the shadows to sign up for the communique at some point in the 2019 legislative session.
The extremely demanding situations human beings face after leaving jail can substantially restrict their ability to effectively reintegrate back into groups, from getting access to sustainable employment to basic requirements like food. A loss of assets turns into a mainly big barrier for ladies, as they often become the primary caretakers of their children upon leaving jail.
According to The Sentencing Project, our nation is the 29th maximum in terms of mass incarceration, with 372 per 0000 people in the back of bars. While it can fall simply barely below the national average for everything in America, West Virginia’s incarceration rate continues to be substantially better than in other countries like the United Kingdom, Italy, and Canada.
The cost burden associated with incarceration is making a dent in West Virginia’s price range for spending. In 2017, West Virginia spent $191 million of its standard fund on corrections. This parent counted for four, 5 percent of the country’s total popular fund spending. Additionally, between 1986 and 2017, the state has visible a 307 percent growth in corrections spending, forcing tradeoffs in different areas such as training, which has visible a 14 percent decrease over the same period.
National efforts toward criminal justice reform (just like the First Step Act) are igniting waves of trade in state legislatures throughout America. Here within the Mountain country, the 2019 legislative session proposed and exceeded numerous bills to improve reentry stories for previously incarcerated human beings and enhance the groups they’re getting into.
West Virginia officials have recounted the want for criminal justice reform with the Expungement Bill (SB 152), the Easy I.D. Bill (HB 2083) and the SNAP bill (HB 2459), and, at the same time as all of those bills are supplying treasured assets to previously incarcerated human beings, they aren’t sufficient.
For instance, earlier than the introduction of the SNAP bill, West Virginia turned into considered one of most effective 3 closing states that endured the lifetime ban on SNAP blessings imposed via provisions inside the Welfare Act of 1996.
House Bill 2459 ended the lifetime ban on SNAP benefits for non-violent drug offenders. This invoice has been passed using both the House and Senate, in addition to being authorized using the governor. Senate Bill 152 defines who is eligible to get their non-violent information expunged and what the timeframe is for when that could occur. This invoice has been passed with the aid of both the House and Senate and signed into regulation with the aid of the governor. House Bill 2083 presents a government-recognizable ID. To non-violent offenders upon leaving prison, legitimate for ninety days. This bill has been properly passed both the House and Senate and was signed by the governor.
Today, we applaud the legislature for its compassionate, commonplace experience technique to reform, however, we mustn’t rest on those payments alone. While West Virginia has visible development for formerly incarcerated individuals in this legislative consultation, there is more that may be carried out with continued efforts and aid. Because of the legislature’s popularity of the want in criminal justice reform, greater problems can be introduced and discussed for evaluation, which includes decreasing minimum sentences, reforming bail, reducing teenagers within the juvenile justice system, and many others.
