releases: https://demings.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-demings-vote-first-step-act
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://demings.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-demings-vote-first-step-act | Rep. Demings to Vote for FIRST STEP Act | 2018-12-20 | 2018 | 2018-12 | Democrat | House | FL | Val Demings | D000627 | demings.house.gov | legacy | ORLANDO, FL Congresswoman Val Demings (D-Orlando) will today vote for the FIRST STEP Acta criminal justice reform bill which will make our justice system fairer and more effective. Said Rep. Demings, Anyone who breaks the law should be held accountable for their actions, but we must also prepare these Americans to re-enter society and not offend again. The FIRST STEP Act prioritizes dignity, respect, equality, and evidence-based strategies which will reduce the rate at which criminals re-offend. This bill will help individuals to serve their sentences while giving them the relationships and tools necessary to leave their punishment behind bars and return to their lives without returning to crime. It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,' and I strongly believe that this will be a first step towards a more equitable and effective justice system. Background The FIRST STEP Act will retroactively apply the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which fixed the sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine, long known to have a racially-biased effect. It will also ease mandatory minimum sentences and expand the safety valve which gives judges more latitude, and eliminate the stacking of gun and drug charges by prosecutors seeking longer sentences. The act will also assist inmates in their return to society by expanding good time credits which apply to well-behaved prisoners. Additionally, the bill will ban certain practices, including the shackling of pregnant women, and will put greater emphasis on de-escalation techniques and medical treatment of drug addicts. These reforms would apply to prisoners in federal prison. Rep. Demings previously served as a 27-year law enforcement officer and Orlando's first female Chief of Police. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |