Steve Cohen

07/25/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/26/2024 14:05

Congressman Cohen Honors the Late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Questions BOP Director in Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing

WASHINGTON, DC - This week, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, questioned Director of Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Colette Peters about the Bureau's operations and the process of reentry for incarcerated individuals.

In his statement before questioning the witness, Congressman Cohen paid tribute to the work of late Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee:

"She was a dynamic figure that was one-of-a-kind. She was a force that soaked up enough information to help her people, and she did a marvelous job in Congress . . . She will be missed." Click here to watch Rep. Cohen's remarks regarding former Subcommittee Chair Sheila Jackson Lee.

Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee, who passed away last Friday, was the Representative for the 18th district of Texas, and was the first female and first African American Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime and Federal Government Surveillance.

During the hearing, Congressman Cohen inquired about how the BOP supports incarcerated individuals' reentry into the community. Specifically, he asked Director Peters about the importance of transportation assistance and access to government-issued identification. They also discussed how to establish new reentry programs and the expansion of compassionate release.

Throughout his remarks, Congressman Cohen expressed the importance of support for individuals within the prison system to reduce recidivism saying,

"They need something. They need help, so they do not recommit crimes when they are released."

Click hereto watch Rep. Cohen's full questioning of BOP Director Colette Peters

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