Criminal Justice Reform
The First Step Act was signed into law by President Trump in December. The First Step Act may just be precisely what it's named, the first step in the right direction for criminal justice reform. Thousands of inmates have received sentence reductions as well as the possibility for early release. Although this is a major leap for criminal justice reform, there are still an abundance of pressing issues within the prison system. For one, men and women that are incarcerated lack the access to have necessary medical care. Whether this entails psychiatric or physical health care, inmates are not receiving the proper care. In early September of this year, the Federal Bureau of Prisons was hit was a lawsuit from the ACLU of Washington for refusing to allow inmates on opioid dependence medications to continue treatment. This was a direct violation of the eighth amendment. This is just one of many unjust scenarios that occur constantly within prisons. Another disconcerting iss