First Step Act

I make mistakes, and hopefully sometimes I try to, like, right those mistakes.

Fetty was released early from prison in January of this year under the First Step Act, a program aimed at reducing mandatory minimum sentences for eligible inmates by completing educational and rehabilitation programs.

Mm.

What did you learn about yourself?

But one thing I've noticed, and I think this is really important, is that even people involved in white collar crime and white collar incarceration wind up becoming advocates for reform of all of incarceration in America.

Some of the, the leaders, and frankly from all sides of the political spectrum and all religious faiths and, and levels of religiosity, I think of Prison Fellowship, founded by Chuck Colson, and, and many other organizations that are led by, by people who had resources, were convicted of white collar crimes, went to prison and saw the horror show that I'm describing, and then came out and said, "We need to change this." You could argue that the First Step Act Which was signed into law by President Trump, which was a, in the first term, which was a bipartisan effort led by people on the left and the right, really would not have happened if it hadn't been for Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law's father, Charles Kushner, who had himself been incarcerated and saw what a disgrace that system was.

And there are many other people convicted of white-collar crimes who went to prison, maybe only served a few years, as in his case, and maybe weren't in the most severe places, perhaps were in minimum security places or in camps.

Nonetheless, came out and said, "This is a absolute shit show, and we need to change this system and make it better." And so I'm grateful to them because a lot of them have generated media attention, resources, and in some cases even laws that have helped all incarcerated people or helped many incarcerated people get out of prison or succeed in their effort to reenter society.

It, it's fortuitous that you should mention the First Step Act, 'cause I wanted to go there next.

Your book, Unusually Cruel, published in 2017.

We've seen some movement since that time towards criminal justice reform, and the First Step Act is probably the most consequential of that movement.

You, you mentioned, it was, it was a hallmark piece of bipartisan legislation at a time in our country where getting both parties to come around to something that big, that impactful, is unheard of.

In a bid to identify areas of potential collaboration, Jeffries recently met with Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, and special envoy for peace.

Jeffries told USA Today they discussed housing affordability and the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform law he and Kushner worked on in Trump's first term.

Our speaker, Mike Johnson, sought to distance Republicans from the Jeffrey Kushner meeting, which was widely perceived as the White House testing the waters with Democrats.

Johnson told Fox News that Kushner is not, quote, really directly involved in the day-to-day administration.

In a bid to identify areas of potential collaboration, Jeffries recently met with Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, and special envoy for peace.

Jeffries told USA Today they discussed housing affordability and the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform law he and Kushner worked on in Trump's first term.

Our speaker, Mike Johnson, sought to distance Republicans from the Jeffrey Kushner meeting, which was widely perceived as the White House testing the waters with Democrats.

Johnson told Fox News that Kushner is not, quote, really directly involved in the day-to-day administration.