Jared Kushner is trying to "improve" incarceration rates in the United States.
No, he's not releasing incarcerated people to return home, but he is instead making prison reform one of his main priorities. Apparently, the issue hits close to home because his father went to jail for tax evasion, even though a real estate mogul isn't really the face of American incarceration.
Trump's senior adviser worked with Attorney General Jeff Sessions to develop initiatives to tackle national recidivism rates, ABC News reports. And of course, his approach is a Republican one by first consulting conservative-leaning groups before liberal ones.
While Kushner likely won't change Donald Trump's "law and order" views and we also don't know what will come from the partnership yet, but we do know he and Sessions—who said he wants to increase prison populations by pushing mandatory minimum sentences, according to the Tennessean—have teamed up.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, advocates are betting on the Prison Reform and Redemption Act, proposed by Georgia Congressional Representative Doug Collins. The bill creates a nationwide assessment called the "Post-Sentencing Risk and Needs Assessment System," which identifies "the risk of every individual prisoner for re-offending and then offering evidence-based resources."
But again, we're left without understanding the details. While this program aims to provide support (including mental health care) to incarcerated people, what risks are they taking to account in this assessment?
The bill's text also says those charged with assault in attempt to murder, firearm offense with three or more convictions, fraud, and more aren't eligible to be assessed under the prospective program. This part could potentially decide which people in prison are "respectable" enough to be given a second chance.
In a society where black and brown lives are criminalized, we have every reason to be hesitant when a politician who "doesn't want Anglo-American law enforcement to go away" engages with prison reform.
