SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Criminal Jus-
tice Commission Act of 2010’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) it is in the interest of the Nation to estab-
lish a commission to undertake a comprehensive re-
view of the criminal justice system; 
(2) there has not been a comprehensive study 
since the President’s Commission on Law Enforce-
ment and Administration of Justice was established 
in 1965; 
(3) that commission, in a span of 18 months, 
produced a comprehensive report entitled ‘‘The 
Challenge of Crime in a Free Society,’’ which con-
tained 200 specific recommendations on all aspects 
of the criminal justice system involving Federal, 
State, tribal, and local governments, civic organiza-
tions, religious institutions, business groups, and in-
dividual citizens; and 
(4) developments over the intervening 45 years 
require once again that Federal, State, tribal, and 
local governments, civic organizations, religious in-
stitutions, business groups, and individual citizens 
come together to review evidence and consider how 
to improve the criminal justice system.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 
There is established a commission to be known as the 
‘‘National Criminal Justice Commission’’ (referred to in 
this Act as the ‘‘Commission’’). 
SEC. 4. PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION. 
The Commission shall undertake a comprehensive re-
view of the criminal justice system, encompassing current 
Federal, State, local, and tribal criminal justice policies 
and practices, and make reform recommendations for the 
President, Congress, State, local, and tribal governments. 
SEC. 5. REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 
(a) GENERAL REVIEW.—The Commission shall un-
dertake a comprehensive review of all areas of the criminal 
justice system, including Federal, State, local, and tribal 
governments’ criminal justice costs, practices, and policies. 
(b) FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—After con-
ducting a review of the United States criminal justice sys-
tem as required by section 5(a), the Commission shall 
make findings regarding such review and recommenda-
tions for changes in oversight, policies, practices, and laws 
designed to prevent, deter, and reduce crime and violence, 
reduce recidivism, improve cost-effectiveness, and ensure 
the interests of justice at every step of the criminal justice 
system. 
(c) REPORT ADVISORY IN NATURE.—No finding or 
recommendation made by the Commission in its report
shall be binding on any Federal, State, Tribal, or local 
unit of government. The findings and recommendations of 
the Commission are advisory in nature. 
(d) STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.—In making 
its recommendations, the Commission should consider the 
financial and human resources of State and local govern-
ments. Recommendations shall not infringe on the legiti-
mate rights of the States to determine their own criminal 
laws or the enforcement of such laws. 
(e) PUBLIC HEARINGS.—The Commission shall con-
duct public hearings in various locations around the 
United States. 
(f) CONSULTATION WITH GOVERNMENT AND NON-
GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall— 
(A) closely consult with Federal, State, 
local, and tribal government and nongovern-
mental leaders, including State, local, and tribal 
law enforcement officials, legislators, public 
health officials, judges, court administrators, 
prosecutors, defense counsel, victims’ rights or-
ganizations, probation and parole officials, 
criminal justice planners, criminologists, civil 
rights and liberties organizations, formerly in-
carcerated individuals, professional organiza-
tions, and corrections officials; and 
(B) include in the final report required by 
subsection (g) summaries of the input and rec-
ommendations of these leaders. 
(2) UNITED
STATES
SENTENCING
COMMIS-
SION.—To the extent the review and recommenda-
tions required by this section relate to sentencing 
policies and practices for the Federal criminal jus-
tice system, the Commission shall conduct such re-
view and make such recommendations in consulta-
tion with the United States Sentencing Commission. 
(g) REPORT.— 
(1) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after 
the first meeting of the Commission, the Commis-
sion shall prepare and submit a final report that 
contains a detailed statement of findings, conclu-
sions, and recommendations of the Commission to 
Congress, the President, State, local, and tribal gov-
ernments. 
(2) GOAL OF UNANIMITY.—It is the sense of 
the Congress that, given the national importance of 
the matters before the Commission, the Commission 
should work toward unanimously supported findings 
and recommendations.
(3) PUBLIC
AVAILABILITY.—The report sub-
mitted under this subsection shall be made available 
to the public. 
(4) VOTES
ON
RECOMMENDATIONS
IN
RE-
PORT.—Consistent with paragraph (2), the Commis-
sion shall state the vote total for each recommenda-
tion contained in its report to Congress. 
SEC. 6. MEMBERSHIP. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall be com-
posed of 14 members, as follows: 
(1) 1 member shall be appointed by the Presi-
dent, who shall serve as co-chairman of the Commis-
sion. 
(2) 1 member shall be appointed by the minor-
ity leader of the Senate, in consultation with the mi-
nority leader of the House of Representatives, who 
shall serve as co-chairman of the Commission. 
(3) 2 members appointed by the majority leader 
of the Senate, in consultation with the Chairman of 
the Committee on the Judiciary. 
(4) 2 members appointed by the minority leader 
of the Senate, in consultation with the ranking mem-
ber of the Committee on Judiciary.