To the Point
The politics of prison reform
Prison reform is moving in Red States, Blue States and (maybe) on Capitol Hill. But America still incarcerates more people than any other country-- including China. Meantime, the Trump White House is divided.
By Warren Olney • • 45m ListenAmerican politicians made good on the promise to “lock’em up and throw away the key.” That was 40 years ago. But mass incarceration doesn’t reduce crime, and it’s not worth the cost. Now the modest First Step Act, which passed Congress, is stalled in the Senate. Both parties are divided--less about goals than how to achieve them. Meantime, some Red States are moving ahead of Blue Massachusetts on prison reform. Back in Washington, the president is falsely claiming a “rise in crime,” while his cabinet and family members go in different directions.
Warren Olney
former KCRW broadcaster
Andrea Brody
Senior Producer, KCRW's Life Examined and To the Point podcast
Glenn Thrush
New York Times
Justin George
Washington, D.C., correspondent for The Marshall Project.
William Brownsberger
Democratic State Senator representing Suffolk and Middlesex counties in Massachusetts.