What happened to Biden’s promises on criminal justice reform? 

When Joe Biden ran for the White House in 2020, he was able to win support from the finicky left because he was willing to take big, bold stances on hot-button issues like criminal justice reform. This is one reason.From the so-called interruption “School to Prison Pipeline” Through increased mental health funding; End all imprisonment for simple drug possessionthe former vice president envisioned a fundamental reshaping of the Casera nation.

Biden's far-reaching reform pledges were so numerous that Wanda Bertram of the Prison Policy Initiative limited herself to listing only his pledges. 5 biggest vows In the post-election summary.marshall project went furthersaid Biden's criminal justice platform is “the most progressive of any major party candidate in history.”

It is hard to imagine that the Marshall Project would receive such glowing praise today.

A lot has changed in four years. Biden's previous criminal justice claims have since Scrubbed from his website. He now faces regular criticism not only from the progressive left but also from experts in the criminal justice system. often contradictory approaches to the problem.

Biden is not alone. Across the party, one of the Democratic Party's biggest issues in 2020 is largely invisible this year. what happened?

To research this column, I contacted more than two dozen House Democrats in 2020, including several progressives who held prominent positions on criminal justice reform, and none of the offices responded. There wasn't one. Things weren't much better for criminal justice reform nonprofits that rose to national prominence in the 2020s. Heated national debate on race, police and prison reform. Of the 10 organizations I contacted, only 2 received a response.

From those willing to speak out, the message was clear. “The only hesitation we're seeing is politicians inside the Beltway who aren't responsive to the demands of their constituents,” Jenna Bottler, executive director of Justice Action Network, told me. “If the president wants to rejoin the criminal justice conversation, it's simple: listen to smart voters rather than election-year soundbites.”

Democrats' sudden silence on criminal justice reform is largely due to a highly successful Republican messaging campaign. Republican politicians have spent much of their time since 2020 pitching to American voters, aided by a friendly network of right-wing media outlets. The fiction that crime is rapidly increasing. They have also made it known to the American people that they will hold so-called “soft on crime” Democrats accountable. release dangerous felons onto the streets.the message Helped Republicans rack up victories That's the price Democrats paid for control of the House, and party leaders have been trying to privately remind progressives of this fact.

The chill from Washington is not lost on criminal justice organizations, which often pursue change at the state and local level.New York enacts landmark criminal justice reform bill Heavy bombardment from Republicanssome activists continue to sting, seeing the party as having abandoned marginalized and ignored segments.

“States are still passing criminal justice reforms or fighting for them,” Lorenzo Jones, co-founder and co-executive director of the Catal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, told me. . “The people who are doing this are all local, but the local people are largely shut out of the national spotlight.”

Jones said he doesn't see the problem as Biden abandoning criminal justice reform, but rather “compromising on it.”[ing] We are moving away from local grassroots leadership and formerly incarcerated leadership. ”

This creates a strange situation in which Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump could be to the left of Biden on criminal justice reform in 2024.

The former president's First Step Act, along with the Bureau of Prisons, celebrated its fifth anniversary last month. report More than 26,000 imprisoned Americans have been released under First Step provisions. The First Step Act has also been praised by criminal justice leaders, who have nothing else in common with Trumpism.

“Mr. Trump has a strong and overwhelmingly popular record on these issues. The first candidate to reject the outdated political rhetoric of the '70s and '80s will be rewarded by voters.” Bottler said.

That doesn't mean Biden remains entirely neutral on issues of justice.Last month he pardoned thousands of Americans Convicted on marijuana charge, pardoned 11 non-violent drug offenders. But Mr. Biden's incremental efforts are far less than many criminal justice reformers expected and less than Mr. Trump's efforts during his tumultuous presidency.

Importantly, President Trump's First Step Act also proved that federal criminal justice reform actually works. Republican lawmakers who sponsored the bill are now proudly sharing news stories about the conditions of people released under the FSA. 37% less likely than their peers To re-offend. Its success and wide national popularity Enactment of the First Step Act should open the door to even bolder action by Biden, including follow-up legislation that expands on what the FSA started. Instead, Democrats ceded that position to President Trump. President Trump is certain to politically criticize Biden's limited actions in the exhausting campaign ahead.

It may seem crazy that President Trump could score political points with voters by chiding Biden for failing to release him. Enough incarcerated people. But the polls have been consistent since 2018, even if Democrats aren't.super majority of Americans still supported A number of common-sense prison and criminal justice reforms.

Instead, nervous Democrats appear to have decided to abandon the issue altogether.

Biden campaigned in 2020 with a refreshingly unapologetic vision of what a reformed criminal justice system would look like. There is still time for the president to rediscover his voice on an issue that was once the focus of domestic Democratic politics. He could start by bringing together neglected criminal justice reform groups and giving them some much-needed listening.

Max Burns is a veteran Democratic strategist and founder of Third Degree Strategies.