Pope Francis and the Pain of Prisoners

Pope Francis and the Pain of Prisoners

During his historic U.S. visit, Pope Francis made headlines for speaking truth to power at the United Nations and the Capitol. But the “people’s pope” also addressed the powerless. Everywhere he went, he called on Americans to treat our undocumented immigrants better....
White Supremacy Is Alive and All Too Well

White Supremacy Is Alive and All Too Well

A New York Times obituary for Julian Bond, the civil rights icon who passed away this August, described the late leader as a “persistent opponent of the stubborn remnants of white supremacy.” Remnants? Hardly. Notwithstanding the hard-won gains of the 1960s, race...
Second Chances Are as American as Baseball

Second Chances Are as American as Baseball

I love baseball. I have since I was a kid. And I’m lucky to be married to a woman who loves the game as much as I do. We recently attended the 86th annual Major League All Star Game in Cincinnati. As part of the opening ceremonies, the Cincinnati Reds honored what...
Correcting Unfair Sentencing Laws

Correcting Unfair Sentencing Laws

In becoming the first president ever to visit a prison with his trip to the medium-security El Reno Federal Correctional Institution near Oklahoma City, President Barack Obama has signaled that he’s serious about pushing prison reform before he leaves office....