Forging a new sentencing politics

I am off to the Minnesota Law School tomorrow to give this talk to their American Constitution Society chapter about “how progressives and conservatives can come together on sentencing issues.”  A few months ago in posts here and here, I explored whether we might be seeing a “new right” on criminal sentencing issues, and I hope to develop some of these themes in my talk tomorrow.

Thanks to fellow bloggers, I see some recent newspaper items which spotlight the role that religion may play in forging a new sentencing politics.  Via How Appealing, this article from the San Francisco Chronicle discusses recent comments of conservative Senators Santorum and Brownback questioning the death penalty.  And via TalkLeft, this article from the Houston Chronicle discusses the development of a faith-based prison in Texas.  As I have discussed in a number of prior posts, some of which are linked below, the connection between religion and sentencing is quite dynamic and could certainly fuel progressive reforms in corrections and in the administration of the death penalty.

• Is there a “new right” on criminal sentencing issues?
• More evidence of a new sentencing reform politics
• Sentencing and Religion
• Having faith in prisons
• Sister Prejean powerful perspective