On Wednesday President Donald Trump endorsed a bipartisan U.S. House bill intended to reform the federal prison system and help inmates prepare for life after release, but the legislation faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Reuters reports The First Step Act, co-sponsored by Republican Doug Collins of Georgia and Democrat Hakeem Jeffries of New York, passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives in May. However, it has not gained traction in the U.S. Senate because it does not contain a broader overhaul favored by liberal progressives and some moderate conservatives seeking changes to mandatory minimum sentencing laws that have kept many low-level offenders behind bars for decades.
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