WASHINGTON (AP) — On the campaign trail, the idea of locking up drug criminals for life is less popular than a generation ago.
The 2016 presidential race has accelerated an evolution away from the traditional tough-on-crime candidate. A Republican Party that’s long taken a law-and-order stance finds itself desperate to improve its standing among minority voters. Democratic candidates are also being drawn into conversations on policing, drugs and prison costs.
The “Just Say No” message of the Reagan administration and the “three strikes” sentencing law developed under President Bill Clinton are giving way to concerns over prison costs, the racial inequities of harsh drug punishments and police interaction with communities.
But even among those in both parties who support changing the criminal justice system, there’s no consensus on how to do it.
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