Description:
H.R. 5682 would direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a risk assessment system for prisoners and expand programs within the federal prison system to reduce recidivism. The act also would change early-release rules to extend the amount of time credited for good conduct. Using information from DOJ, the Bureau of Prisons, and the U.S. Sentencing Commission, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would reduce the cost of incarcerating offenders and lead to a net reduction in discretionary costs of $342 million over the 2019-2028 period, assuming future appropriation actions consistent with the projected reduction in the prison population. In addition, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5682 would result in the release of thousands of people from federal prisons earlier than would occur under current law. CBO expects that upon release many of them would receive benefits from such federal programs as Medicare, Medicaid, and the health insurance marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act; Social Security; Supplemental Security Income; and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. As a result, CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation estimate that enacting the legislation would increase direct spending by $214 million and reduce revenues by $4 million over the 2019-2028 period. Because enacting the legislation would affect direct spending and revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5682 would not increase net direct spending by more than $2.5 billion or on-budget deficits by more than $5 billion in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. H.R. 5682 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
