Why Prison Reform Could Hold The Key to 2020

Even though President Trump, over 50 celebrities and possibly up to 75% of the country support an overhaul of the nation’s prisons, the most meaningful reform bill in almost a decade - called the FIRST STEP Act - might not pass before the end of this Congress. 

One version has already passed the House and the Senate revised its bill to include modest sentencing reforms. So far, some Democrats are non-committal. Other Republicans, notably Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, don’t support the bill because it decarcerates the federal prison population, however slightly. 

But as of November 2018, each and every member of Congress has a new reason to throw their support behind the FIRST STEP Act.  Justice reform isn’t just smart policy anymore; as of this month, it’s smart politics.

On Election Day, Florida voters passed Amendment 4,which restored the voting rights of 1.4 million people with criminal records.  Twice as many Floridians support restoring voting rights to people with criminal records than people who oppose it; 64.5 percent in favor to 35.5 percent against.

The importance of Florida in national elections  barely needs reiterating. No candidate has won the presidency without winning Florida since 1960 when Kennedy beat Nixon; Bill Clinton in 1992 is the only exception. And experts have long speculated that Al Gore and Hillary Clinton each would have won that essential state – and the presidency -  if people with criminal records were allowed to vote. These voters may be the deciding voice in calling for our next president.