First, President Trump pushed for cutting sentences on nonviolent criminals. Then, the White House put its stamp of approval on letting former jailbirds get a shot at federal jobs through the just-signed Fair Chance Act.
As a result, Trump has a new MAGA constituency: ex-cons.
“Many of us who have been sentenced to decades in prison for nonviolent crimes were praying for someone to come into government with the commitment and courage to finally get this done, and President Trump and his administration responded,” said Matthew Charles, one of the first convicts freed under Trump’s First Step Act.
“Now, with the passage of the Fair Chance Act, those Americans can take the next step in their reintegration into society by gaining access to the federal job market. With a paycheck in their pocket, these formerly incarcerated individuals like myself reduce their chances of ending up back behind bars,” he told Secrets.
The legislation, part of the recently approved defense authorization bill, ended the federal jobs ban for some 70 million Americans (1 in 3 adults) with some criminal background.
“President Trump and leaders on both sides of the aisle know their continued support for criminal justice reform makes for sound policy and smart politics,” said Holly Harris, executive director of the Justice Action Network. She added, “Frankly, it’s great to see President Trump and all Democratic challengers compete for who has done the most to make our justice system fairer and more effective.”
And politically, it’s a potential winner, she added. “Surveys across the country, especially in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, show these reforms poll out the roof with voters of all backgrounds, and frankly it’s great to see President Trump and all Democratic challengers compete for who has done the most to make our justice system fairer and more effective,” she said.
Some 35 states have already begun implementing policies that mirror the Fair Chance Act, including Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
