WASHINGTON, DC – Statement from FWD.us Criminal Justice Senior Director Zoë Towns on H.R. 6691:

“FWD.us opposes H.R. 6691, legislation that expands the definition of violent crime, which will lead to more and longer prison sentences for lower level crimes. Further, this new and wider definition includes conduct not categorized as violent in state laws and conduct which is not violent in nature. This bill bucks the bipartisan consensus that federal sentences are already too long and the research consensus that long sentences will not decrease crime or help people successfully return to their communities.”