President Donald Trump gave his official backing to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley’s criminal justice overhaul efforts, giving Iowa’s senior senator hope his years-long quest to change the nation’s sentencing system might become a reality.
The proposal, bundled in a measure called the First Step Act, is the result of a bipartisan effort between Grassley, a Republican, and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois. If it becomes law, it would shorten mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes, create programs to help prisoners re-adjust to their communities and stay out of prison, and improve conditions for women in prison, among other changes.
The widespread support the proposal’s garnered — not just from Grassley, but from organizations like the Fraternal Order of Police — changed his mind, according to some reports. Trump announced his support at a White House event joined by his adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has made criminal justice reform a centerpiece of his portfolio.
Read the full article on the Des Moines Register