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Sentencing Reform Package Draws Broad Early Support

HeadlineNov 15, 2018

President Trump is backing a criminal sentencing reform bill in what many are praising as a bipartisan effort to overhaul the way certain crimes are sentenced in the courts. The proposed reforms include rehabilitation programs for former prisoners and a reduction in mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes. The First Step Act has been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police and is supported by many conservatives, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Koch brothers. A number of progressive groups, including the ACLU—which had previously opposed an earlier House version of the bill—have also come out in support. Some Democratic lawmakers, including Cory Booker of New Jersey, are seeking improvements to the bill before endorsing it.

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