There are times when the news out of Washington seems more like sound and fury than news, and it can be hard to see when important progress is being made. A good example is the president’s push to reduce recidivism (the rate at which formerly incarcerated individuals are sent back to prison) by changing the focus to rehabilitation in the federal prison system.

It’s an issue everyone can get behind because the need to act is clear. Many of our prisons are overcrowded and some violate even the most basic standards of human decency. Corrections departments are under-staffed, under-resourced, and often overwhelmed. We also have the unfortunate distinction of having one of the world’s highest incarceration rates.