Voters are showing strong support for criminal justice reforms. With almost 90% of Congress up for re-election in November, and a heated presidential election in full swing, candidates should listen carefully. You can read more about the poll here: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/opinion-listen-the-american-people-schedule-vote-criminal-justice-reforms Conventional wisdom once told us that politicians can score points and earn votes by calling for harsh penalties and long prison sentences. But public opinion has shifted - that view is wrong and outdated. A recent poll from Pew Charitable Trusts shows that all Americans including Democrats, Republicans, Independents, men, women, Latinos, African Americans, seniors, young voters, and even law enforcement households, agree: we need to fix our broken federal prison system. The vast majority of voters agree: Our prison system has grown too big, too expensive, and it’s locking up too many low-level drug offenders who aren’t a threat to public safety. 79% of voters agree: We need to get rid of mandatory minimum sentences, which have been the key driver of our ballooning federal prison population. 85% of voters agree: We should give federal prisoners the opportunity to shorten their sentences by participating in programs like education and drug treatment. Americans across party lines and demographics are ready and willing to make changes that would reduce our federal prison population they see as too large, too expensive, and too often incarcerating the wrong people. Over 250,000 people have signed our petition for #JusticeReformNOW in support of proposals in Congress, right now, that would take a first step to fixing this problem. We thank you in advance for your support and look forward to making more progress this year. Best, Matt Haney Policy Director & Co-Founder #cut50