Opposition to Congress reducing federal criminal penalties for drug traffickers

A new survey commissioned by the Foundation for Safeguarding Justice finds opposition to proposals in Congress that would reduce federal criminal penalties for drug traffickers and allow the release of prisoners to “home confinement,” reported The Crime Report.

Three out of four people surveyed (74 percent) said that they oppose proposals that reduce penalties for criminals involved in the trafficking of heroin, fentanyl, and similar drugs. The foundation was created by the National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys (NAAUSA), who prosecute criminal cases in federal courts.

The foundation says that the FIRST STEP Act, now pending in the Senate, would permit the release of drug traffickers serving time in federal prison, with the remainder of their sentence spent under “home confinement.” Critics say that home confinement allows drug traffickers to continue illicit activities while serving their sentences. A proposal to reduce federal penalties for traffickers in heroin, fentanyl, and similar drugs is opposed by 87 percent of Republicans, 70 percent of Democrats and 73 percent of independents, the foundation says. 

Only 14 percent of survey respondents believe the federal government is too tough in its handling of drug trafficking, while three out of four (76 percent) think that the federal government is either not tough enough (51 percent) or about right (25 percent) in its current handling of drug traffickers.

To read the survey CLICK HERE