John Cornyn Pushes for Prison Reform Reflecting ‘Texas Success' at National Level

The reality is that many who go to prison will get out of prison. But the question, said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, is what happens afterward: Will they have the skills necessarily to build their lives again?"Texas has always had a reputation for being tough on crime," he said at a press conference Friday outside the Seagoville Federal Corrections Institution, after he and others toured the facility and held a private roundtable discussion. "What we've decided is to get smart on crime."Friday's activities were to have included White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, who has supported such criminal justice reforms. However, his flight was delayed, and he was said to have taken part in the roundtable by phone.Earlier this week, Cornyn introduced the First Step Act, which aims to lower recidivism rates by requiring the Prisons Bureau to create programs to rehabilitate low-risk offenders.  Continue reading...