The title of this post is the headline of this notable recent Washington Examiner commentary authored by Cassie Monaco. Here are excerpts:
I will also never forget the day I found out that my husband had been charged with a nonviolent criminal offense. The emotions that I felt and the pain that I had at that very moment are indescribable, not to mention the feelings of utter shock, knowing that your life will never be the same again. Today, my husband is serving six and a half years at a federal prison in Colorado.
As the wife of an incarcerated individual, I had two choices: Do I indulge in self-pity, or do I channel my energy and emotions into something more productive? I chose the latter. And so I got involved with national advocacy efforts on criminal justice reform, and I created an organization called A Day Closer, with the sole mission of reducing recidivism by keeping families intact while a loved one is incarcerated.
The First Step Act is providing much needed relief and assistance to many of those incarcerated and their families. It is also restoring dignity back into our very broken criminal justice system. However, the act still leaves behind a group that oftentimes gets over looked: individuals convicted of white-collar crimes.
I can understand the lack of sympathy out there for many white-collar criminals, but not all of them are bad people. In addition to admitting their crimes and apologizing to the victims, they are left financially destroyed, with their professional and personal lives ruined forever....
The First Step Act understandably focuses on relief for drug offenders. But oftentimes, those offenders do not have the burden of restitution once they are out. The white-collar group, although they are less likely to fall victim to recidivism, will however be saddled with a life sentence in the form of extraordinary restitution. They will never be completely free, even after time served. This needs to change.
As the national conversation shifts to the Second Step, lawmakers should sponsor and support legislation that provides some relief with regards to restitution amounts. Meanwhile, by executive order, Trump should return the Office of the Pardon Attorney to its former place under the Executive Office of the President. Finally, Trump should create an independent commission that advises the president on matters related to Executive Clemency.
The goal is simple: give those that have committed white-collar crimes, admitted to their mistakes, and served their time a real chance to start over and rebuild their lives, without being saddled with the burden that excessive restitution creates.
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