Bismarck, N.D. – North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley is signaling that his fight to ensure the most dangerous criminals remain behind bars to serve out more of their prison terms isn’t over.
This week, the state House Judiciary Committee decided to remove a key provision from the so-called ‘truth in sentencing’ bill.
The panel struck down language that would have forced violent offenders and drug traffickers to serve at least half of their prison sentence before the possibility of parole.
Supporters of the changes, including the committee chair, believe there need to be hope among inmates for a shot at rehabilitation.
“Punishment matters,” North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley told The Flag’s Scott Hennen.
Listen below to part of Scott Hennen’s interview with AG Drew Wrigley
Wrigley says the legislation, which was crafted by his own design, is about respecting a judge’s decision and public safety to reduce recidivism.
“We want to respect that they’ve [the judges] have made the sacred decision about how long somebody should serves for victimizing a person in a community in that fashion,” says Wrigley.
The head of the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has been against the bill, also arguing it sacrifices any chances to rehabilitate an inmate.
But Wrigley says DOCR has its own problems that need to be addressed.
“They define success in weird ways that you and I wouldn’t,” says Wrigley. “They have an escape problem from the halfway houses. They are not secure. The public is not protected.”
Asked if he believes the effort will have to be pushed to the next legislative session, Wrigley suggested it’s too early to tell.
“This fight is far from over,” says Wrigley. “We’ve carried this banner. We’ve done it for them [law enforcement], we’ve done it for victims and we’re not going to stop.”
