DEMS/GOP/PRISON/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Friday [5-18-18] urged Congress to overhaul the nation’s prison system and help more former inmates re-enter society, hoping to jump-start legislation that’s facing fresh opposition from Democrats. Trump said at a White House forum that a prison overhaul ‘unites people from across the political spectrum’ and that lawmakers need to ‘work out their differences, get a bill to my desk — I will sign it…’ But five influential Democrats have announced their opposition to a House bill supported by the White House, saying the approach would “be a step backward” because it is flawed and doesn’t cover changes to federal sentencing guidelines. Their opposition raises questions about whether the bill could pass in a Congress run by Republicans, who hold a slim Senate majority. The White House has expressed hopes of winning approval ahead of the fall elections. Trump has pushed for a plan that focuses on helping facilitate released prisoners’ re-entry into society, as well as better developing their skills in prison and improving rehabilitation services…In a letter released Thursday [5-17-18], the Democrats said the bill would exclude too many people who are incarcerated, provide inadequate money for the plan and fail to reduce recidivism. It was signed by Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California along with Reps. John Lewis of Georgia and Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas.”
-Ken Thomas, “Trump urges Congress to overhaul nation’s prison system,” The Associated Press, May 18, 2018