Jared Kushner, senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, joined a campaign Thursday to press Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on criminal justice reform, according to Washington's McClatchy D.C.
Conservative prison reform groups, along with Sen. Rand Paul and now Kushner, are touting a poll of Kentucky voters for legislation that could improve the federal prison conditions.
"This bill will help a lot of people, but it will also keep our communities safer, which is a big priority of the president," Kushner said.
Kushner and Trump have had several discussions about the First Step Act, a prison reform bill that passed the House in May on a 360 to 9 vote, according to McClatchy D.C.
According to an online campaign promoting the First Step Act, "the federal prison system is failing to achieve its purpose — rehabilitation — and instead rips people away from their families, leaves them with fewer opportunities than when they entered into the system, and ultimately decreases public safety."
The bill aims to ensure "people are prepared to come home from prison job-ready and have major incentives to pursue the life-changing classes that will help them succeed on the outside."
Kushner said it was a real issue "that Americans want to see advanced and they want to see politicians in Washington make progress," according to McClatchy D.C.
There are divisions in the Senate over the legislation, with critics arguing that it does not tackle the "front end" problem of longer prison sentences.
A spokesman for McConnell said discussions were being held while Kushner said he was hopeful for a compromise.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.