Even though many older Republicans built their careers on harsh drug sentencing, there is a movement among many on the right, young and old, to take another look at unfair sentencing, mandatory minimums, and the vast number of federal crimes on the books. This goes hand in hand with the beliefs of many Democrats in Congress, which has turned prison reform into a leading bipartisan issue.

While crime rates did go down after harsh sentences were implemented in the 1980s, experts now believe this was due more to the coincidence of a strong economy and less due to the changes in sentencing made at that time. The number of bills currently being discussed that were introduced or cosponsored by Republicans is strong evidence of the new bipartisan movement to reform prisons.

Will cooperation in Congress be enough to create change? Read more at thehill.com