Y'all got mad when Kanye met with Trump. But did MLK not meet with LBJ?? Good on Kanye for keeping the dialogue open in this hyper-partisan, toxic political environment and actually making REAL CHANGE in the process instead of just bitching and whining. And though I'm no Trump fan good on Trump as well if he keeps this up! Criminal justice reform is one of the most important issues to me, and I'll give credit where credit is due."Kanye West’s literal embrace of President Trump was all over the news last week. The president’s rhetorical embrace of criminal justice reform got considerably less attention, but may prove more consequential.
In an interview with Fox News on the morning of his meeting with the rap impresario, Trump signaled that he was ready to go beyond “back-end” reform, which focuses on rehabilitation of inmates, and support “front-end” reform, which focuses on reducing sentences and sending fewer people to prison.
The key to understanding Trump’s remarks is Alice Marie Johnson, whose sentence the president commuted in June at the behest of West’s wife, Kim Kardashian.
Johnson, a first-time nonviolent offender who received a life sentence in 1996 for participating in a Memphis cocaine-trafficking organization, has described herself as “a telephone mule, passing messages between the distributors and sellers.” While serving nearly 22 years in federal prison, she became a grandmother and great-grandmother, an ordained minister and a mentor to other inmates.
Although it took the intercession of a fellow reality TV star for Trump to free Johnson, he clearly was impressed by her story. More important, he recognizes that Johnson, whom he calls “the most incredible woman,” is not unique in receiving an absurdly disproportionate sentence for a nonviolent crime.
“You have many people like Mrs. Johnson,” Trump said on Fox News. “There are people in jail for really long terms.”
Notably, Trump did not say the solution is more commutations, although those would certainly be welcome. “There has to be a reform, because it’s very unfair right now,” he said. “It’s very unfair to African-Americans. It’s very unfair to everybody.”
Trump had high praise for criminal justice reforms in Texas and Georgia, which in recent years have seen falling crime rates even as they reduced their prison populations. “They really have done a tremendous job with reform,” he said.
These comments, which may seem surprising from a man who has consciously cultivated a tough-on-crime image, reflect the influence of people Trump respects, people like his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a supporter of the conservative reform organization Right on Crime. And yes, people like Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.
That influence could be crucial in the ongoing debate about federal sentencing reform. Last May, the House overwhelmingly approved the FIRST STEP Act, a collection of modest prison reforms aimed at reducing recidivism and promoting reintegration. The bill is on hold in the Senate, where Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is demanding that it include sentencing reforms as well.
The latest proposal would incorporate into the FIRST STEP Act four elements of Grassley’s Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act.
The amendments would widen the “safety valve” that lets some drug offenders escape mandatory minimum sentences, narrow the criteria for mandatory minimums that apply to repeat drug offenders, clarify that escalating sentences for drug offenders who have guns require prior convictions and retroactively apply the shorter crack-cocaine sentences that Congress approved in 2010.
If Trump backs the changes Grassley wants, an amended bill could be approved by the lame-duck Congress after the election. “I believe the president was sincere,” said Jason Pye, the vice president of legislative affairs at FreedomWorks, which supports sentencing reform.
“I was skeptical when the White House began dabbling in this more than a year ago. But the White House has been fully engaged on this.”
People do change their minds about these issues: Not long ago, Grassley himself was an ardent opponent of sentencing reform. In Trump’s case, the evolutionary pressure may come from people he disdains as well as people he admires.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is no fan of sentencing reform, which may count in its favor, as far as Trump is concerned.
If Sessions does not get on board with “prison reform,” Trump said on Fox News, “then he gets overruled by me, because I make the decision.”
https://nypost.com/2018/10/17/kanyes...ustice-reform/
Last edited by TrippyHippy; 10-19-2018 at 07:43 PM.
“I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest.” - Henry David Thoreau
Kanye is a nut. He did not offer programs of anything of value. Just meaningless words. We all saw his Whitehouse antics. You thinkTrump derived policy from that?
blackascoal (10-20-2018), kudzu (10-20-2018)
anatta (10-20-2018), TrippyHippy (10-19-2018)
“I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest.” - Henry David Thoreau
Fuck off and die ....
Rune (10-20-2018)
Rune (10-20-2018)
Politically, it is the democrats' fault this situation even exists. The US took forever to bury heavy-handed mandatory sentencing and Tip O'Neil almost unilaterally brought it back to life as a political stunt in an election year to prove he was tough on crime after Len Bias' drug-induced death. For as much as the dems gnash teeth about evil republicans victimizing the poor and blacks, their digging this thing up has done far more damage to the poor and black communities than the GOP could ever dream of doing.
Coup has started. First of many steps. Impeachment will follow ultimately~WB attorney Mark Zaid, January 2017
Prison reform isn't really Trump's issue .. it's his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
And, while everybody is singing happy days about Trump and Kanye's 'influence' on prison reform ...
DOJ praises Trump’s choice not to endorse prison reform bill
The Justice Department on Thursday praised President Donald Trump’s decision not to back a prison and sentencing reform bill that was crafted by top Republican leaders and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and senior adviser.
“We’re pleased the president agreed that we shouldn’t support criminal justice reform that would reduce sentences, put drug traffickers back on our streets, and undermine our law enforcement officers who are working night and day to reduce violent crime and drug trafficking in the middle of an opioid crisis,” Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said in a statement.
Trump met with Kushner, who has made prison reform a priority; Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley at the White House on Thursday to discuss the bill. The president declined to endorse the bill, citing the midterm elections, Axios reported.
The bill drew backlash from Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who called the proposal a “jailbreak” that would “let serious felons back on the streets.” Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Thursday said that construcive conversations are currently being had with White House about the legislation, "but nothing is final yet."
"With Republicans in the majority, any agreement must be endorsed by the President and include a commitment from Republican leaders to move it through Congress and get it to the President’s desk,” Durbin said.
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) said on Wednesday that the Senate wouldn’t take up any new package of prison and sentencing reforms before the midterms.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...artment-794871
Kanye's real success is getting you dumb ass republicans hope that African-Americans would vote for your racist candidates and party.
That is not going to happen EVER.
AMERICAN HISTORY ITSELF IS A TESTAMENT TO THE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN PEOPLE. WE, ALONG WITH THE COURGE AND SACRIFICES OF CONSCIOUS WHITE AMERICANS, LIKE VIOLA LIUZZO, EVERETT DIRKSEN, AND MANY OTHERS, HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED TOGETHER FOR OUR FREEDOM, AND FOR OUR SURVIVAL.
In America, rights are are not determined by what is just, fair, equitable, honest, nor by what Jesus would do. Rights are determined ONLY by what you can DEMAND.
AMERICAN HISTORY ITSELF IS A TESTAMENT TO THE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN PEOPLE. WE, ALONG WITH THE COURGE AND SACRIFICES OF CONSCIOUS WHITE AMERICANS, LIKE VIOLA LIUZZO, EVERETT DIRKSEN, AND MANY OTHERS, HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED TOGETHER FOR OUR FREEDOM, AND FOR OUR SURVIVAL.
In America, rights are are not determined by what is just, fair, equitable, honest, nor by what Jesus would do. Rights are determined ONLY by what you can DEMAND.
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