Trump endorses criminal justice reform legislation News
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Trump endorses criminal justice reform legislation

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his support for the FIRST STEP Act, which aims at reforming the prison system to better rehabilitate individuals upon re-entering society.

The Act “uses a targeted approach toward a specific population of Federal prisoners who will eventually be released,” and aims to “promote prisoner participation in vocational training, educational coursework, or faith-based programs, and in turn help them successfully reenter society.” The program would focus on job skills, drug treatment, and education.

FIRST STEP has been deemed “bipartisan” and showed overwhelming support in Congress with a 360–59 in May. Trump delivered remarks about the effect this bipartisan effort will have:

[W]e’re all better off when former inmates can receive and reenter society as law-abiding, productive citizens. And thanks to our booming economy, they now have a chance at more opportunities than they’ve ever had before. … Our pledge to hire American includes those leaving prison and looking for a very fresh start—new job, new life.

Trump also remarked on the wide-rage of support from law enforcement at every level, showing high expectations for the Act’s influence on inmate re-entry.

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