When I think of social change and research being conducted to better the effects of such change I immediately think of the First Step Act. I’ve had the honor to meet some of the men this act has affected. Releasing men who would have served 10-15 years additional time in prison for non-violent drug-related offenses. Men who would have no assistance re-entering in society. This act has looked at the data, it has taken into consideration the effects that mass incarceration has on minority men and it has sought to change that. Social change comes in many forms but its greatest form is prison reform. President Trump has rewritten and amended previous bills so that now prisoners will receive good time exemptions. The BOP is mandated to no assist inmates with applying for benefits and obtain proper identification to assist with reentry. The BOP now has to house inmates within 500 miles from their primary residence to maintain family ties. Inmates who complete programs can become eligible to enter prerelease custody early. Mandatory minimums were all reduced by 10-15 years for repeat offenders, life sentence minimums are reduced to a 25-year minimum. Inmates incarcerated under the Fair Sentencing Act can now petition for release. This Act will drastically affect the rates of recidivism and image populations around the country. As of now, over 7000 inmates have been released and counting.
Sources Cited: Federal Bureau of Prisons. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.bop.gov/inmates/fsa/overview.jsp.