On a conference call with reporters on Wednesday Cornyn broke down the specifics of his role in drafting the legislation. He said he was responsible for the de-escalation provision that provides grant funding for law enforcement to receive training. "The studies indicate that works well. And from what we've seen in Atlanta and elsewhere, it looks like that training is needed to deescalate some of these encounters and prevent injury or death," said Cornyn.
Another provision close to Senator Cornyn is the one that establishes a Criminal Justice Commission. It's similar to legislation drafted by Cornyn in 2015. He told reporters, "These commissions can serve as a useful adjunct of experts that can look at the issues on the long-term and comprehensive basis, and then allow Congress to pass on their recommendations."
Law Enforcement Reform Summary:
• The JUSTICE Act strengthens the training methods and tactics throughout law enforcement jurisdictions, especially regarding de-escalation of force and the duty to intervene, providing law enforcement with new funding to do so, and will also end the practice of utilizing chokeholds
• Additionally, the bill will reform hiring practices by providing more resources to ensure the makeup of police departments more closely matches the communities they serve
• The JUSTICE Act also ensures when a candidate is interviewed, the department looking to hire will have access to their prior disciplinary records
• Too often, after a tragic incident, we have learned the offending officer had a disciplinary past in another jurisdiction of which their current employer was unaware
Accountability
• Studies show that when body cameras are properly used violent encounters decrease significantly
• The JUSTICE Act will put more body cameras on the streets, and ensure that departments are both using the cameras and storing their data properly
• JUSTICE also requires a report establishing best practices for the hiring, firing, suspension, and discipline of law enforcement officers
Transparency
• Currently, only about 40 percent of police officers from jurisdictions nationwide report to the FBI after an incident where an officer has discharged his or her weapon or used force
• The bill will require full reporting in these two areas
• There is also very little data as to when, where and why no knock warrants are used, and the JUSTICE Act will require reporting in this area as well
Additional Steps
• The JUSTICE Act will finally make lynching a federal crime
• It also creates two commissions to study and offer solutions to a broader range of challenges facing black men and boys, and the criminal justice system as a whole
The full text of the JUSTICE Act is here: https://www.scott.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/JUSTICEActText.pdf
