Rep. Tlaib Pressed on Her Support for Abolishing Federal Prisons: ‘The Act that You Endorsed Actually Says Release Everyone’

EXCERPT:

SWAN: “In 2020, you endorsed the BREATHE Act, which is a series of proposals to transform America’s criminal justice system and create quote: ‘a roadmap for prison abolition’. The BREATHE Act proposes emptying federal detention facilities within 10 years. To what extent have you wrestled with any potential downsides of releasing into society every single person who’s currently in a federal prison?“
TLAIB: “Yeah. Again, I think that everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, we’re going to just release everybody.’ That’s not —”
SWAN: “That’s what the — that says. “
TLAIB: “Yeah but did you see how many people are mentally ill that are in prison right now?”
SWAN: “No, I know. But the act that you endorsed actually says release everyone “
TLAIB: “But in 10 years. But think about it, who are releasing —”
SWAN: “But there are like human traffickers. “
TLAIB: “Oh, I know.”
SWAN: “Child sex. So but you’re saying — do you mean that you don’t actually support that? “
TLAIB: “No —”
SWAN: “Cause you used to endorse the bill. “
TLAIB: “No, I endorsed the BREATHE Act and looking at federal — the policies and how we incarcerate.”