By Will Ruger and William C. Smith, Jr. | January 25, 2019
Will Ruger is the vice president for research and policy at the Charles Koch Institute and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. Will Smith, a Democrat, represents the 20th District in the Maryland Senate. Both are officers in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
The recent passage of the federal First Step criminal-justice reform bill shows that bipartisanship is still possible in this age of extreme polarization. If we are going to make progress, we need to find ways to put differences aside.
Working together as Navy reservists has led the two of us, despite our very different backgrounds and political philosophies, to want to continue partnering for our community in our civilian capacities.
In our conversations, we kept coming back to the core principles we share and how the criminal justice space was a place we could join forces to advance them. Our foundational principles include respect for the moral dignity and equal rights of all individuals; the importance of public safety in our cities and neighborhoods, where people aren’t afraid of their fellow citizens or the law enforcement officials who are meant to protect and serve us; and government transparency.
These discussions quickly led to a few practical, essential steps that Maryland lawmakers could take to build off past reforms and become a model for other states.
One of the most important ways Maryland can improve public safety is by reforming the way people enter and engage with the criminal justice system. This means serious policing reform that rebuilds trust between people and law enforcement, respects equal rights, and keeps police safe. It would also reduce overcriminalization that unnecessarily traps too many Marylanders in the system.