True public safety does not come from mass incarceration - it comes from investing in people and addressing the root causes of harm. For too long, our criminal legal system has punished poverty, criminalized survival, and denied people the resources they need to rebuild their lives.

I support shifting federal policy away from incarceration and toward rehabilitation, reentry, and dignity. That includes supporting legislation like the Just Society: Mercy in Reentry Act to ensure that people are not permanently excluded from the social safety net because of past involvement with the criminal justice system. Everyone deserves access to basic necessities such as healthcare, housing, food assistance, education, disability benefits, and retirement security, especially when successful reentry benefits entire communities.

I support ending the death penalty, abolishing life sentences without the possibility of parole, eliminating mandatory minimum sentencing, and ending solitary confinement. I also support ending cash bail, expanding access to Pell Grants for incarcerated people, and ensuring incarcerated workers are paid at least the federal minimum wage for their labor. These reforms recognize that accountability and humanity are not mutually exclusive.

Prison reform must also include decriminalizing activities that are often the byproducts of poverty and homelessness (such as drug use and sex work) and replacing punishment with healthcare, harm reduction, and supportive services.

Finally, we must reject the idea that policing and incarceration are one-size-fits-all solutions to social problems. Real safety comes from stable housing, accessible healthcare, quality education, and economic opportunity. When people’s basic needs are met, communities are safer, incarceration rates fall, and cycles of harm are broken.