[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 20 (Monday, February 3, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H1528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       FEDERAL PRISON POPULATIONS

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
congratulate the United States Attorney General, Eric Holder, and 
President Obama for joining with voices, particularly those of the 
House Judiciary Committee, Republicans and Democrats, and acknowledging 
that the United States is comprised of only 5 percent of the world's 
population, but we incarcerate almost a quarter of the world's 
prisoners.
  While the entire U.S. population has increased about one-third over 
the last 30 years, the Federal prison population has increased at a 
staggering rate of 800 percent, currently totaling nearly 216,000 
inmates and currently operates at a 33 percent overcapacity.
  One-half of those Federal prison populations are drug offenses. While 
some of them are truly dangerous persons, as Deputy Attorney General 
Cole said, many of them are first-timers, and by possession only, wound 
up under Federal laws, the crack cocaine laws, in the Federal system.
  Today, I stand to support the clemency offering that is being offered 
by the Department of Justice, as well as to reduce barriers in housing 
and access to health care.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in working to ensure that we get word 
out to these individuals and their families to make sure that this 
clemency works and works in the right way, Mr. Speaker.

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