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O'Rourke to visit inmates inside California's San Quentin
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke is planning to visit San Quentin State Prison north of San Francisco on Saturday to meet with inmates and have them lead him on a tour of the facility — a rare peek behind bars for a White House hopeful.
The former Texas congressman will spend part of his time with inmates who are close to finishing their sentences, discussing ways to improve the "re-entry" process into society and to combat recidivism. He will also conduct an interview with "Ear Hustle," a podcast produced by inmates inside the all-male prison that is California's oldest.
President Barack Obama visited El Reno Federal Correctional Institution, a medium-security facility for male offenders in Oklahoma, in July 2015, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to set foot inside a federal prison. Obama was calling then for shortening the sentences of non-violent drug offenders and advocating for the reduction, or outright elimination, of severe mandatory minimum sentences.
O'Rourke's visit follows his attending a roundtable Thursday in Las Vegas, where he spoke with formerly incarcerated people about restoring voting rights, providing better training and education for former prisoners and overhauling the criminal justice system. A new Nevada law restores voting rights to inmates automatically upon their release from prison — something O'Rourke supports.
Read more: https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/ap/o-rourke-to-visit-inmates-inside-california-s-san-quentin/article_b3d11053-b8cf-502d-aae7-3a93d1f8d9dc.html