Just in time for the Christmas holiday – which symbolizes the opportunity for hope and renewal for tens of millions of Americans – the Senate has delivered another occasion for many across the country to be hopeful: a major, bipartisan victory on criminal justice reform.  The "First Step Act," which passed by an overwhelming 87-12 vote, is the culmination of years' worth of work by lawmakers and stakeholders from across the political spectrum and is the most significant such piece of legislation in a generation. The First Step Act is also a big win for President Donald Trump, who has long supported efforts to revamp the federal prison system – given his campaign promise to fight for America's "forgotten men and women" and his desire to "reduce crime while giving our fellow citizens a chance at redemption." At the federal level, the need for redemption is sorely apparent, and this bill was founded upon that and...(Read Full Article)