Did you know that when 17-year-olds are arrested in Texas, they are prosecuted and sentenced as adults?
Did you know law enforcement is not required to notify parents of these arrests?
Did you know that when 17-year-olds are arrested in Texas, they are prosecuted and sentenced as adults?
Did you know law enforcement is not required to notify parents of these arrests?
Justice reform is going to be a hot topic in 2017.
Congress was back in session this past Tuesday. House Speaker Paul Ryan quickly addressed justice reform.
“We intend to pick up where we left off and get moving again on criminal justice reform,” Ryan said during this week’s news briefing.
Christianity Today dedicated its September issue to the topic of evangelicals and their ministry to those impacted by crime and incarceration. One excellent article–How Churches Change the Equation for Life After Prison–highlighted the fact that over the past several decades, Christians have entered the arena of prison ministry in hordes, but their focus has been largely on evangelism and discipleship–impact on an individual and heart level–while areas like reentry and criminal justice reform have been largely untouched.
Speaking in front of an eager crowd at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC, on June 20, U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas laid out his vision for criminal justice reform. Cornyn, the current majority whip of the U.S. Senate, has worked hard to steer the Republican Party towards supporting a comprehensive reform of the criminal justice system, while also building coalitions with like-minded pro-reform individuals across the aisle.
On Wednesday, March 30, President Obama announced the commutation of the sentences of 61 federal prisoners serving time for drug-related offenses. The commutations are but the most recent attempt by the administration to draw attention to the need for criminal justice reform.
On March 23, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan addressed a bipartisan audience of house interns on Capitol Hill. Speaking on the state of American politics, Ryan lamented the current lack of civility in public discourse, where rhetoric and posturing are drowning out ideas.
In his final State of the Union address last night, President Obama told the American people that he would not allow his final year in office to be a silly season.
Among his key priorities for the year would be an increased emphasis on criminal justice reform—an effort Obama referenced as a "bipartisan priority" despite the current rancorous bipartisan climate.
The following commentary originally appeared on the Breakpoint website.
It’s no secret that most Americans disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job, and by “most” I mean an overwhelming majority. The reason most give is that Congress doesn’t seem to get much done.
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