Dear Senators McConnell and Schumer,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for H.R. 4018, which provides a technical fix to the Elderly Home Detention Pilot (EHDP) program established by the First Step Act, and to urge the Senate to consider and pass the bill.
Non-violent offenders who reach the age of 60 and who have served two-thirds of their sentence are eligible for this program, which would transfer them from a Federal prison to home confinement. However, due to what appears to be a drafting error, these offenders-unlike other offenders in the Federal system-cannot apply their good time credits toward their time served. This is both a matter of fairness to these offenders who should not be denied the good time they earned and also a matter of fiscal responsibility. Recent studies indicate that nearly 20% of the budget of the Bureau of Prisons goes to the incarceration of these aging inmates.
This bipartisan bill passed the House by voice vote under a suspension of the rules. The FOP supports this measure, as we did the First Step Act, and we consider the EHDP program as part of our nation’s new approach to criminal justice. We would urge our fellow law enforcement organizations-those that supported the First Step Act and those which did not-to support this technical amendment to this pilot program.
On behalf of the more than 349,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I urge the Senate to consider and pass H.R. 4018 as expeditiously as possible. If I can be of any additional assistance on this or any other issue, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in my Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
National President
cc:The Honorable John Comyn III
The Honorable Michael S. Lee
The Honorable Richard J. Durbill Minority Whip