Reform Nation: The First Step Act and the Movement to End Mass Incarceration

The First Step Act, signed by President Trump in late 2018, was a major federal criminal justice reform bill that aimed to reverse the incarceration frenzy. Reform Nation, by Colleen P. Eren, investigates the Act as a symbol of the larger movement's trajectory, highlighting the power of advocates, stakeholders, and strange bedfellow alliances. The book provides an in-depth look at the criminal justice reform movement, its frames, voices, and controversies, raising questions about how democratic processes inform criminal justice policy and where the movement is heading in the future.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 282 pages
Publication date: 12 September 2023
Publisher: Stanford University Press

In late 2018, President Donald Trump signed the First Step Act into law, just hours before a government shutdown. This significant piece of federal criminal justice reform marked a departure from the incarceration frenzy that had characterized US policy since the 1970s. While it may not have been a revolutionary change, Reform Nation, by Colleen P. Eren, explores it as a symbol of the broader movement's trajectory. The Act's passage during a period of political polarization was a testament to the power of a new constellation of advocates, stakeholders, and unusual alliances.

These intricate and multifaceted dynamics reflect a longer, twenty-year shift in which the criminal justice reform movement gained national prominence and mainstream acceptance. Through in-depth interviews with key figures in the national movement, formerly incarcerated activists, celebrities, and donors, this book offers a unique perspective by turning the mirror back on the reform movement itself. It examines the frames used, the voices heard, the capital activated among elite participants, and the bitter controversies that have shaped its course.

This snapshot in time raises profound questions about how our democratic processes shape criminal justice policy and where we are headed in the coming decades. The First Step Act symbolizes a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to address the systemic issues within the criminal justice system and promote fairness and equity for all Americans.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503636736