An organization partially funded by the Koch brothers is criticizing Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ memo directing prosecutors to seek the harshest possible penalties for federal crimes.
“We favor a different approach which requires changing some of the existing federal laws,” Freedom Partners Chairman Mark Holden said in a statement Friday afternoon.
“Fortunately, there are already federal reform bills from last year that have broad bipartisan support that will address this issue. These reforms are consistent with those enacted by many states the past 10 years,” he added.
Communities and law enforcement “are safer when the punishment fits the crime through sentencing reforms,” Holden argued, adding that the Department of Justice should be looking at other ways to deal with lower-level offenders.
“This is also an issue that receives overwhelming public support from across the political spectrum,” Holden said. “The states have shown that you can reduce crime rates and reduce incarceration rates at the same time, keep communities safer and families together, while also using taxpayer dollars more effectively.”
The memo issued early Friday by Sessions rolls back policies by the Obama administration that sought to lower prison sentences for lower-level nonviolent drug offenders. The Trump administration has been indicating for the past few weeks that a change to the nation’s sentencing and charging laws was imminent.
The right-leaning Koch brothers have been pushing for criminal justice and police reform for years, and even teamed up with Democrats and the American Civil Liberties Union.
