Gov. Phil Bryant was on Fox and Friends this morning to talk about a roundtable discussion with President Donald Trump that he attended in which the President said we have a duty to help those seeking redemption after serving time for crimes they committed.
.@PhilBryantMS: “You can be smart on crime.” @foxandfriends pic.twitter.com/om2ieQeFEl
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 10, 2018
“In 2014, we started our Right on Crime program,” Bryant told President Trump. “We looked at… mental health. Mental health issues are rampant in prisons. Also trying to make prisons a drug-free zone… and a crime-free zone within the prisons.”
The governor also touted faith-based programs within the prison system.
“It takes a change of heart,” said Governor Bryant. “If their hearts are not changed, their lives will not be changed.”
Bryant also spoke with Fox and Friends on the roundtable, and discussed helping inmates get technical training and a GED while incarcerated:
We can be smart on crime and ensure our communities are safe at the same time. https://t.co/kdQvkI6K0G
— Phil Bryant (@PhilBryantMS) August 10, 2018
“Get some of the non-violent offenders… maybe get them an earlier release and get them in the job market,” said Governor Bryant.
The state leaders in attendance also pledged to boost the workforce.
As POTUS & Jared Kushner convened a bipartisan group of Governors from across the country to discuss prison reform, each of the Governors also signed our #PledgeToAmericasWorkers & joined our national campaign to invest in the skills of America’s current + future workforce! pic.twitter.com/KrlXRmo34i
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) August 10, 2018