FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       

October 11, 2018

Austin, TX — Today, President Donald J. Trump signalled his strong support for criminal justice reform saying in an interview with “Fox & Friends” that, “There has to be reform because it’s very unfair right now.”  The comments came in advance of a meeting with singer Kanye West and former football star Jim Brown, at which they are expected to discuss criminal justice reform. Right on Crime, the leading conservative criminal justice reform group, praised the administration for its commitment to increasing public safety and reducing recidivism.

“By prioritizing criminal justice reform, President Trump is working to keep our streets safe while giving second chances to those who have paid their debt to society,” said Ken Cuccinelli, former Attorney General for Virginia and a signatory to the Right on Crime Statement of Principles.  “Prison reform would help former offenders return to their families and communities as law-abiding, productive members of society.”

“Congress has an opportunity to incorporate effective reform that makes public safety a priority. Reforms like the ones the White House has embraced have shown promising results—especially in reducing repeat offenses and allowing ex-offenders to obtain jobs. The Senate should pass the First Step Act, which was overwhelmingly passed by the House of Representatives last spring,” said Mr. Cuccinelli.

Right on Crime is a national campaign of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, in partnership with the American Conservative Union Foundation and Prison Fellowship that supports conservative solutions for reducing crime, restoring victims, reforming offenders, and lowering taxpayer costs. The movement was born in Texas in 2005, and in recent years, dozens of states such as Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, have led the way in implementing conservative criminal justice reforms.

Right on Crime has the support and works to mobilize the voices of more than 90 prominent conservative leaders who have endorsed the principles of conservative criminal justice reform, including former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Concerned Women for America President Penny Nance, former U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, and Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Right on Crime spokespersons, please contact Kevin McVicker at (703) 739-5920 or [email protected].