Prison Fellowship

  • DONATE
    • One-Time
    • Monthly
    • Angel Tree
    • Other Ways to Give
  • GET INVOLVED
    • All Options
    • Subscribe
    • Angel Tree Christmas
    • Start a Fundraiser
    • Pray With Us
    • Justice Action Center
    • Share on Social
Search
  • STORIES
    • Stories
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • The Restoration Series [Videos]
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Why Help Prisoners?
    • What We Do
    • In-Prison
      • Prison Fellowship Academy
      • In-Prison Programs
      • Hope Events
      • Inside Journal
      • Women’s Ministry
      • Create: New Beginnings
    • Angel Tree
      • Register your church or group for Angel Tree
      • Prison Fellowship Angel Tree
      • Angel Tree Christmas
      • Angel Tree Camping
      • Angel Tree Sports Camp
    • Justice Reform
      • Justice Reform
      • Second Chance Month
      • News & Updates
      • Sign the Justice Declaration
      • Get a Copy of Outrageous Justice
    • Warden Exchange
    • Church Partners
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Preparing Prisoners for Reentry
    • Research and Evaluation
      • Good Citizenship Model®
  • RESOURCES
    • Subscribe to Our Email
    • Support for Friends and Family of Prisoners
      • Resources for Friends and Family of Prisoners
      • Coping with Incarceration
      • Resources for Prisoners
      • Resources for Children of Prisoners
      • Supporting Successful Prisoner Reentry
      • Subscribe To The Hope Connection
    • Resources for Churches and Volunteers
      • Resources for Churches and Volunteers
      • In-Prison Ministry
      • Reentry Ministry
      • Family Ministry
      • Justice Reform
      • Mentoring Ministry
    • Angel Tree Coordinator Training
    • Resources for Chaplains
    • Resources for D.O.C.
    • Justice Reform Resources
    • Create: New Beginnings Book
    • Share on Social
  • ABOUT US
    • Our Beliefs
    • Mission & Vision
    • Financials
      • Financials
      • 2024 Annual Report
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
    • In The News
    • Leadership
    • Chuck Colson
      • About Chuck Colson
      • The Charles Colson Hope Awards

Change on the Horizon?

July 17, 2015 by Steve Rempe

For all the contentious, divisive issues that have recently dominated national headlines, there is one policy issue that continues to receive broad, bipartisan support—the need for meaningful sentencing and corrections reforms in the United States.  And with new efforts by President Obama to highlight the need for changes, the time may be right for a significant transformation in how we view prisons and the men and women inside them.

This week, President Obama took three very public steps to draw attention to the issues surrounding public corrections.  On Monday, the White House announced the commutation of the sentences of 46 non-violent drug offenders.  (Among those whose sentences were commuted was Katrina Smith, mother of Denver Bronco wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.  Bekah Stratton’s article on Thomas and Smith is available here.)  For his presidency, has commuted almost 90 sentences, and offered full pardons for another 64 prisoners.

On Tuesday, in an address to the annual convention of the NAACP, the president provided more details about the types of reforms he would like to see enacted.  These proposed reforms included reducing prison overcrowding via sentencing alternatives to incarceration, eliminating mandatory minimums while increasing judicial discretion, reducing use of solitary confinement, eliminating prison rape, and enabling former prisoners the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families free from unnecessary hurdles that effectively extend the prisoner’s sentence far beyond the time they served behind bars.  All of these proposals are matters which Prison Fellowship has supported through the work of our Justice Fellowship program.

Finally, on Thursday, President Obama became the first sitting president to visit a federal prison when he visited the El Reno Federal Corrections Penitentiary in Oklahoma.  While there, he reiterated his desire to find more effective and more economical ways to reduce crime and to rehabilitate criminals.

“We have to consider whether this is the smartest way for us to both control crime and rehabilitate individuals,” President Obama said.  “We have to reconsider whether 20 year, 30 year, life sentences for nonviolent crimes is the best way for us to solve these problems.”

Perhaps the most encouraging thing about the president’s comments over the past week is the nonpartisan way in which it has been approached.  President Obama was quick to credit conservative lawmakers like John Cornyn (R-TX) and Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul for their efforts in this regard.

There is a unique opportunity in the coming months to see real reform in the criminal justice system take place.  But such change will not happen unless lawmakers are convinced that the proposed changes will be effective.  Hopefully, policy makers from both sides of the aisle will see the long-term benefits of changing current practices, and will act decisively in a way that will make the system fairer, more humane, and more efficient.


 

Want to keep up-to-date on what Prison Fellowship is doing to help reform the criminal justice system?  Prison Fellowship’s weekly e-newsletter offers updates on efforts to make sentencing more just, prisons more humane, and to provide those leaving prison with hope for a better life for them and their families. 

SIGN-UP FOR NEWSLETTER

 

Filed Under: Prison & Prisoners, Prison Fellowship News & Updates, Reentry Tagged With: El Reno, John Cornyn, mandatory minimums, Obama Administration, Oklahoma, overcrowding, Prison Rape, Rand Paul, Reentry

SELECT A TOPIC

  • Advocacy & Reentry
  • Angel Tree
  • Families of Prisoners
  • Feature Stories
  • From the CEO
  • Hope Events
  • Inside Journal
  • Press Releases
  • Prison & Prisoners
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Prison Fellowship International
  • Prison Fellowship News & Updates
  • Reentry
  • Second Chance Month
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Warden Exchange

MOST POPULAR

The Powerful Love of Moms Behind Bars

May 7, 2025

How Camp Can Change the Life of a Prisoner’s Child

April 30, 2025

Prison Fellowship’s Statement After United States Senate Declares April 2025 as Second Chance Month

April 29, 2025

LATEST VIDEOS

WATCH ALL VIDEOS

Join our online community

Facebook Facebook X (Twitter) X (Twitter) Instagram Instagram YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn
PF®
PFM®

RECOMMENDED LINKS

  • Ways to Donate
  • Inspirational Stories
  • Angel Tree
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Justice Reform

RESOURCES

  • For Families & Friends of Prisoners
  • For Churches & Angel Tree Volunteers
  • Warden Exchange

JOIN RESTORATION PARTNERS AND WITNESS GOD RESTORE LIVES

Restoration Partners give monthly to bring life-changing prison ministry programs to incarcerated men and women across the country.

 

JOIN NOW
  • CONTACT US
  • EMPLOYMENT
  • PRIVACY
  • FINANCIALS
© 2025 PRISON FELLOWSHIP®

Angel Tree®, Angel Tree Camping®, Angel Tree Sports CampTM, and Warden Exchange® are programs of Prison Fellowship®.