This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Wednesday, March 30, 2016.

I'm Caleb Brown.

Substantial criminal justice reform, particularly in federal sentencing, has a better chance of getting

through Congress this year than in years past.

But there's still a sticking point between Republicans and Democrats who won't reform, and that is criminal

intent.

Kevin Ring is Vice President for Families Against Mandatory Minimums. We spoke today.

Why does somebody who worked for John Ashcroft, former Governor of Missouri,

former Attorney General.

Why is somebody who wrote mandatory minimum statutes

that ended up becoming statutes.

Why are you working for families against mandatory minimums today?

Well, I would say I'm not the same person.

I was back then, but at the time,

I was like many conservative Hill staffers who thought more punishment was always the answer.

And in writing criminal laws or facing criminal threats and at the time methamphetamine

was this is the early 90s, mid 90s became the big threat and after the crack boom

then methamphetamine swept the Midwest

Center Ashcroft represented Missouri.

He decided in 2000 he wasn't going to run for president,

he was going to run for re-election.

And so we had to show that we were sensitive to Missouri's concerns

...