Page 59 - NEWSPAPER MEDIA MONITORING DECEMBER 18TH, 2018

Farewell Marijke

Tuesday
December 18, 2018

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Criminal justice bill passes first test vote in Senate

By KEVIN FREKING The bill would give judges
WASHINGTON (AP) — Leg- more discretion when sen-
islation that would ease tencing drug offenders
federal sentencing laws for and allow about 2,600 fed-
some offenders cleared its eral prisoners sentenced
first major test vote Mon- for crack cocaine offenses
day, garnering overwhelm- before August 2010 the op-
ing support in both parties portunity to petition for a
even as some conserva- reduced penalty. The bill
tives portrayed the bill as also encourages prisoners
soft on crime. to participate in programs
The Senate voted 82-12 to designed to reduce the risk
advance the bill. A vote of recidivism, with the re-
on final passage would ward being the accumula-
come later in the week, tion of credits that can be
but not until the chamber used to gain an earlier re-
has debated and voted lease to a halfway house or
on a series of amendments home confinement to finish
from opponents that will be out their sentence. In this Dec. 11, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting in the Oval Of-
fice of the White House, in Washington.
brought up Tuesday. Continued on Page 3 Associated Press