Although Trump is calling for criminal justice reform and even pushed McConnell on Twitter for a vote on the First Step Act, Barr is an old-school criminal justice thinker. Here's the Brennan Center for Justice explaining that he is similar (if not worse) than Sessions:
Barr’s record suggests he might also be opposed to the FIRST STEP Act, the current bipartisan bill on criminal justice reform. If passed, the bill would shorten some unnecessarily long federal prison sentences and enforce rules that would improve conditions for people currently in prison. Barr’s potential opposition to the FIRST STEP Act would put him at odds with President Trump and the majority of Republicans in the Senate, who support the bill.
Barr’s previous stint as attorney general also included troubling positions on criminal justice issues. During his tenure in the Bush administration, Barr helped devise federal policies that furthered mass incarceration and the war on drugs. Notably, in 1992, he published a book by the Department of Justice called The Case for More Incarceration, which argued that the country was “incarcerating too few criminals.” After serving as attorney general, Barr led efforts in Virginia to abolish parole in the state, build more prisons, and increase prison sentences by as much as 700 percent.
5 comments:
This has less to do with Barr's views, and everything to do with the 2020 primary season (which starts on January 3, 2019). He named Papa Bush's AG to be his AG hoping to bring "traditional republicans" back into the fold (i.e. to weaken primary opposition).
“Brennan Center for Justice” that’s an oxymoron.
I am in favor of mass incarceration, but only of criminals.
Taking in a 77 year old after verdict is something.
Meet the new Boss, just like the old Boss.
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