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Congressman George Holding

Representing the 13th District of North Carolina

Congressman Holding Introduces Bill to Help Keep Our Communities Safe & Protect Federal Resources

Sep 19, 2014
Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 19, 2014
CONTACT: Alex Miehls, 202-226-8159


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman George Holding (NC-13) released the following statement after the introduction of his bill, the Protecting Public Safety and Federal Resources Act:

"President Obama and Attorney General Holder are moving to put convicted drug offenders - currently serving federal prison sentences - back onto the streets. This would be devastating to our communities and hamper law enforcement's efforts to keep our streets safe. In order to stop this misguided policy, I have introduced the Protecting Public Safety and Federal Resources Act.

“The Obama administration’s proposed policy would allow an estimated 46,000 convicted criminals to apply for reduced sentences. In addition to potentially releasing thousands of drug traffickers, the administration's policy would create lighter penalties for our nation’s most dangerous drug traffickers for years to come and create a potential shutdown of effective drug prosecution by devoting scarce law enforcement resources to reviewing sentences instead of fighting crime.

“The Protecting Public Safety and Federal Resources Act prevents this irresponsible policy from taking effect and preserves federal resources for pursuing the violent drug dealers who are currently prosecuted under federal law."

Background: 

The Protecting Public Safety and Federal Resources Act (PPSFRA) reverses U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC) proposals to reduce sentencing guideline levels for drug offenders that would allow an estimated 46,000 convicted criminals to seek sentence reductions retroactively.

PPSFRA is supported by the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys (NAAUSA), the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), and the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC).

The USSC’s statistics show there is an almost 50 percent rearrest rate for offenders who received sentence reductions under the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) show a recidivism rate close to 75 percent for such offenders nationwide.

Sally Quillian Yates, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, testified before the USSC in June, saying that the diversion of resources from prosecutors’ offices, the courts, and probation services in order to process over 46,000 applications for sentencing reductions will have a negative impact on public safety.

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