Faith communities adding urgency to calls for prison reform

c. 2015 Religion News Service

(RNS) In an era when most faith groups’ political priorities align predictably with the two major parties, it is refreshing to behold a truly diverse religious consensus on an issue.

In response to widespread concern a generation ago about public safety and illicit drugs, new laws mandated longer prison sentences. Eager to appear “tough on crime,” legislators, prosecutors and judges all had incentives to contribute to the burgeoning prison population.