Gov. John Kasich on Wednesday signed a sentencing reform bill that will allow some felons to skip prison and others to get out early.
Kasich said this piece of legislation, which becomes law in 90 days, may be the most important thus far in his short tenure as governor because it goes directly toward helping people improve their lives.
“This kind of reform legislation sat idle for 25 years, maybe. Nobody wanted to touch it,” Kasich said, recalling excuses from lawmakers who had tried for the better part of a decade to address prison overcrowding but always yielded to fears of being labeled by voters as soft on crime.
“If you’re going to put your own future ahead of other people’s lives and their ability to reclaim their lives,” Kasich said, “then you’re making a big mistake.”