DEAR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP,

As a unified group of entrepreneurs, corporate executives, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists, business leaders, and citizens of this great country, we write in strong support of the Safer Supervision Act of 2025.

At a time of deep political division, Safer Supervision stands out not only as common-sense, but as rare common ground. Nearly 80% of voters across the political spectrum support this reform, alongside more than 20 bipartisan cosponsors in the U.S. House and Senate and over 100 endorsing organizations nationwide, including law enforcement, crime survivors, faith leaders, business owners, and reentry advocates. This legislation reflects a shared belief in accountability, public safety, and America’s promise of redemption and second chances.

Federal supervised release was originally created by Congress as a limited tool for unusual cases that require additional support through continued supervision to reduce crime and increase reentry success. But policies accelerated by the War on Drugs transformed the targeted tool of supervision intended only for rare cases into a default punishment applied in nearly every federal case, regardless of risk or need. In 2024, more than 98% of people with federal prison sentences also received federal supervised release.

As a result, the federal supervision system has tripled in size over the past 30 years, now placing more than 110,000 people under supervision at a cost of roughly $500 million to taxpayers every year. Probation officers routinely manage over 100 cases each, more than twice what experts recommend, making it nearly impossible to focus on real threats to public safety or provide meaningful support.

This generalized application of supervised release is compounded and accompanied by overly broad and general conditions.  Supervision now requires an average of at least 14 daily conditions, many of which contradict one another and fail to advance either of supervision’s goals of public safety or success in reentry. These one-size-fits-none conditions are more than mere inconveniences - instead, failure to abide by them is the most common reason for reincarceration. These non-criminal technical violations of supervision conditions - like missed appointments, failed drug tests, or restrictive travel rules - are responsible for sending twice as many people back to prison as new criminal conduct. Technical violations are not crimes, yet the consequences are just as severe: people lose jobs, housing, and family stability, the very factors proven to reduce recidivism and promote long-term success.

This approach does not make our communities safer. Instead, it diverts resources away from higher-risk cases, overwhelms probation officers, and traps people who have taken responsibility and done the work to rebuild their lives.

THE SOLUTION

The Safer Supervision Act of 2025 offers a smarter, more effective path forward. It restores federal supervision to its original mission by:

Ensuring targeted supervision: Imposing supervision only when truly necessary and beneficial, with individualized conditions based on risks and needs that protect public safety and support reentry.

Creating a clear path to earned early termination: Establishing a clear process for people who demonstrate rehabilitation, including continuing education and maintaining employment, freeing up law enforcement and supervision resources for higher-risk cases.

Prioritizing evidence-based with proven results: Allowing judges to utilize their discretion to craft measured responses that hold people accountable, rather than automatic revocation and reincarceration, for minor substance-related violations.

Promoting data-driven investment and safeguarding taxpayer funds: Studying how supervision dollars are spent to guide smart investments in what works and fix what doesn’t, strengthening outcomes nationwide.

This targeted approach strengthens accountability while recognizing that successful reentry is essential to public safety and economic growth. Stable employment is one of the strongest predictors of success after incarceration, yet the current system too often undermines that success. Safer Supervision helps remove unnecessary barriers so more people can return to the workforce, support their families, and contribute to their communities. The costs of the current system are not just human; they’re also economic.  The Safer Supervision Act has the potential to generate over $440 million in projected savings, all while better serving the measurable goals and outcomes of safety and reentry.  

The Safer Supervision Act is not about being soft or tough — it is about being smart, fair, and effective. It reflects the values of responsibility, opportunity, and redemption that define our nation and unite Americans across ideological lines.

We respectfully urge you to support and advance the Safer Supervision Act of 2025.