Congressman David Scott has consistently supported initiatives to promote public safety and improve the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve. He understands that a foundation of mutual trust and transparency is crucial for successful community policing. Congressman David Scott has also focused on evidence-based criminal justice reform to reduce recidivism, save taxpayer money, and prioritize rehabilitation over punishment in America's sentencing laws. He continues to work vigorously to eliminate the racial disparities present in our justice system and fighting to guarantee equal protection of the law as outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
Justice Initiatives
In the 118th Congress, Rep. David Scott led a letter to several Georgia District Attorneys urging them to expand the use of accountability courts for nonviolent offenders. Accountability courts utilize employment requirements, drug/alcohol testing, counseling, and direct court oversight to provide eligible individuals with an alternative to incarceration.
Supported increased FY 2026 funding for Veterans Treatment Courts and the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program which provide specialized treatment to allow nonviolent offenders to pay their debt to society while becoming productive citizens.
Backed FY 2026 funding increases to strengthen the First Step Act and Second Chance Act, key reentry programs that promote sentencing reform and integration of formerly incarcerated people through employment opportunities and restoration of civil rights.
Cosponsored the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, which would decriminalize cannabis, prohibit the denial of public benefits for cannabis usage, and directly reinvest in the communities most harmed by the War on Drugs.
Protecting Local Communities
Supported a FY 2026 request for robust funding to the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, which places officers in communities around the country to advance community policing initiatives and bolster crime deterrence efforts.
Rep. David Scott also supported $924 million in new funding for Byrne-Justice Assistance (Byrne JAG) grants to help law enforcement with resources for forensic analysis, cold-case review, school violence prevention, multi-jurisdictional task forces, and training.
He backed several FY 2026 funding requests for programs to solve crimes, like the Emmet Till Unsolved Crimes Act, Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Program, the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, and Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing.
Secured $872,000 in FY 2024 community project funding to assist local law enforcement agencies with equipment allocation and funding for violent crime reduction projects.
Police Accountability
Rep. David Scott supports the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would have increased penalties for police misconduct, banned the use of certain dangerous policing practices, improved data collection, and mandated new police training requirements.
Supported a FY 2026 funding request for the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act, which would provide training to law enforcement on de-escalation methods, procedures for crisis intervention teams and employing alternatives to use of force.
Requested more than $12 million in FY 2026 funding for the Wrongful Conviction Review Program to overturn miscarriages of justice.
Cosponsored the Mental Health Justice Act, which incentivizes state and local governments to create a mental health crisis team to respond to emergencies involving individuals with behavioral health needs.
Rep. David Scott also cosponsored the 9-1-1Community Crisis Responders Act, which would establish unarmed mobile crisis response programs to divert certain non-violent calls to specialized service providers.
Corrections Reform
In the 118th Congress, Rep. David Scott sent a letter to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) over its excessive and improper use of restrictive housing, otherwise known as solitary confinement.
He partnered with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on a large-scale study examining BOP’s use of restrictive housing and to recommend best practices to protect the health and safety of incarcerated individuals and correctional staff.
In 2024, Rep. David Scott sent a letter to the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) questioning the agency over the partnership with Wellpath, a private health services provider, in Georgia prisons and to emphasize that incarcerated individuals must have their human rights protected and standards of care upheld.
Cosponsored the Private Prison Information Act, which would increase transparency and improve record collection for private correctional facilities.
Combatting Hate
Requested robust FY 2026 funding increases for the Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer NO HATE Act Program, to enhance data collection and improve law enforcement response to hate crimes.
Rep. Scott Signed a FY 2026 funding request for the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, to provide $17 million for specialized training to law enforcement to prevent and prosecute hate crimes.
Joined a FY 2024 request for Domestic Extremism and Radicalization Research at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to allow chief officials of national law enforcement agencies to identify homegrown domestic threats facing our nation.
Rep. David Scott is also a proud cosponsor of the Hate Crimes Commission Act, which would create a bipartisan commission to investigate the national root causes of and rise in hate crimes.
