Good guy, bad guy, same guy
by digby
It’s great that Senators Rand Paul and Corey Booker have come together with a prison reform proposal. America’s prisons are a disgrace and it’s a feather in both of their caps to take it on:
The measure, called the REDEEM Act, has several pillars: It encourages states to change policies so children are directed away from the adult criminal justice system; automatically expunges or seals — depending on their age — criminal records of juveniles who committed nonviolent crimes; and limits solitary confinement of children, except in rare circumstances.
The legislation also creates a path for adults with nonviolent offenses to seal their criminal records and restores food stamp and welfare benefits for low-level drug offenders who have served their sentences.
I think it’s particularly notable that Paul, the small government fetishist is willing to allow anyone access to government benefits, much less ex-cons. That’s down right liberal of him. In fact, I doubt many of the red state Democrats would back that. So, good on him. He does have his good points.
On the other hand, as Ed Kilgore points out, his legendary commitment to civil liberties excludes the prime mover of individual freedom for half the population. It’s such a glaring inconsistency that I simply cannot trust the “principles” that allegedly guide him:
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