美国国家公共电台 NPR 3 Months Into New Criminal Justice Law, Success For Some And Snafus For Others

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

There have not been a lot of bipartisan successes during the Trump¹ administration, which is why it was such a big deal when the president signed the so-called First Step Act into law three months ago. It was an effort supported by Republicans and Democrats² to reduce the population in federal prisons and to help those getting out readjust to life on the outside so they don't end up going back in. Today, President Trump is meeting federal inmates³ who were freed under that law. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe has been tracking how the First Step Act has been implemented⁵, and she joins us now. Hi, Ayesha.

AYESHA RASCOE, BYLINE⁶: Good morning.

MARTIN: So there are apparently⁷ some issues with how this law has taken effect. What have you found?

RASCOE: So for supporters of this law, there has been a big accomplishment⁸, and that's that more than 500 inmates have been released thanks to sentencing changes; that's a portion of the law that activists⁹ and supporters say is working out reasonably as intended, but there are some concerns. The Justice Department is supposed to develop programs focused on training, rehabilitation¹⁰ and other prisoner needs. This is key because most prisoners will be getting out at some point, and this is the prep work for that.

But there's a problem - an outside committee that's supposed to oversee¹¹ development of this risk assessment¹² tool, required by law to get these programs off the ground, hasn't even been set up yet; that deadline passed two months ago. And there's another deadline - yeah - this risk assessment is supposed to be completed by July. So there's worry they might miss that deadline since they haven't even gotten the committee set up. Then there's also the issue of funding. Some sources have told me that there are - that they are hearing that there might not be enough money to develop the tool or the new program.

MARTIN: That would be a problem. So does the administration - is the administration acknowledging these issues?

RASCOE: Well, so I talked to some administration officials who said President Trump is committed to working with Congress to fully¹³ fund and implement⁴ the law. As far as that outside committee, they said they are hoping to get the group in place as soon as possible. But in the meantime, the Justice Department is working internally to develop the risk assessment tool to attempt to meet that July deadline.

MARTIN: So I understand you've had a chance to talk to someone who was recently released under the First Step Act, right?

RASCOE: Yes. So I talked to Randy Rader of Eastpointe, Mich., outside Detroit. Rader was in prison for 15 years for a crack cocaine¹⁴ offense¹⁵, his third offense, and he still had more years to serve, but he was released just a little over a week ago under a provision of the First Step Act that made a 2010 law that lowered the disparity between crack cocaine penalties and powder cocaine penalties retroactive. Now he's home, reunited with his mom, Debbie (ph), and here's a little of what he had to say.

RANDY RADER: I mean, you know, I love it. I love being - it's free. You know, I can go out. I can walk to the store. I don't have to wait until somebody opens my door and tells me I can go to the chow line; I can go up to the refrigerator and grab me something to eat, you know.

MARTIN: Just the basics, yeah.

RASCOE: So - yeah. Those are things that people take for granted. And - but there have been some practical challenges for him - money is tight because his mom's on a fixed¹⁶ income, he was denied food stamps because of his prior convictions, and he's having a hard time getting ID.

RADER: I just keep telling myself, stay focused, stay focused. Even if something blocks my way, that's what I try to do. I just say, stay focused. Don't worry about it. We're going to figure it out another way.

RASCOE: So there's no doubt that, despite those difficulties, Rader is just glad to no longer be incarcerated¹⁷. But the struggles that he's facing aren't unique, and that's what the First Step Act is ultimately supposed to address - how do you get prisoners ready for life when they're no longer behind bars? That's why there's concern about these new programs being developed.

MARTIN: Right. And so just real quick - where are you going to be looking to determine if these issues get fixed?

RASCOE: Congress will have to give the - appropriate the money. So that's the question; will it be the $75 million asked for by the law?

MARTIN: NPR White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe. Thank you.

RASCOE: Thank you.

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

5 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

9 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

11 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

12 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

13 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

14 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

15 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

16 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

17 incarcerated   

钳闭的

参考例句：

• They were incarcerated for the duration of the war. 战争期间，他们被关在狱中。 来自辞典例句
• I don't want to worry them by being incarcerated. 我不想让他们知道我被拘禁的事情。 来自电影对白