Washington • In one of his biggest legislative achievements, Sen. Mike Lee’s push to reform the criminal justice system passed the Senate on Tuesday night, a clear victory on bipartisan legislation backed by President Donald Trump and advocates on both sides of the aisle.
The sweeping legislation would overhaul the federal sentencing system to lower mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, expand job training and boost early-release opportunities.
It also reduces the unequal standards applied to whether someone is caught with crack or powder cocaine. Current law mandates a longer sentence for possession of crack cocaine, a point that advocates say disproportionately affects black Americans.