Koch, according to his chief counsel, wants to help make it easier for people who have non-violent offenses to find jobs after their sentences are complete. Additionally, Koch wants to discuss the voting rights of former offenders. Koch told a newspaper that he feels that changes to make the criminal justice system fair are necessary. He said the reform is especially important for the disadvantaged and that sentencing needs to be appropriate for the crime committed.
Koch’s interest in the criminal justice system stems from his own involvement. His company, Koch Petroleum Group, was facing 97 felony indictments. In the end, he paid a $10 million settlement and all but six of those charges were dropped.
Interestingly, Koch isn’t the only high-profile person who is pushing the reform. Some prospective candidates for the Republican Party’s 2016 presidential run are also supportive of some sentencing reform, namely for drug offenders without violent offenses.
Until the criminal justice system is revamped, it is especially important for anyone who is facing criminal charges to present a strong defense. In some cases, that might be the only way to avoid a potentially unfair sentence.
Source: CNN Politics, “Charles Koch to push criminal justice reform ‘over the next year’” Ashley Killough, Dec. 29, 2014
