Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner visits Milwaukee’s Joseph Project and discusses criminal justice reform.
One by one, they told their stories, of coming out of prison and finding new lives and jobs through the Joseph Project.
The program championed by U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson connects inner-city Milwaukee residents with jobs in the region. It has been a lifeline, especially for those who were formerly incarcerated.
“Without this program, I might be dead right now,” said John Hapkowskyj, who served eight years in federal prison and now works at Denali Ingredients in New Berlin.
Listening to Hapkowskyj and others tell their stories was Jared Kushner, senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump.
“All of your stories are amazing,” Kushner told those gathered at Greater Praise Church of God In Christ in Milwaukee. “Thank you for pushing. Thank you for fighting.”
Kushner’s visit coincided with a Trump campaign rally in downtown Milwaukee on Tuesday. Kushner discussed the First Step Act, a bipartisan prison and sentencing reform bill that Trump signed into law in December 2018.
Kushner lauded the president’s role in putting “politics aside to help people.”
“When you are in the criminal justice system you don’t have a lot of people who are your lobbyists who are your advocates,” Kushner said.
Kushner said he told the president that even though criminal justice reform wasn’t something central to his campaign he had pledged “to fight for the forgotten men and women of this country.”
“For me, this was a very personal issue. I had a family member who was in prison,” Kushner said, a reference to the federal sentence served by his father, Charles.
Later, Kushner said, “What’s the purpose of our prisons? Is it to lock people up, is it to punish people, is it to help people rehabilitate?”
Ultimately, he said, most of those in prison will eventually be released and need skills as they’re reintroduced into society.
Johnson said over the years 670 people have graduated from the Joseph Project’s program and 446 have found jobs.
“Of those, 31% are still working that first job,” he said.
“The Joseph Project came and found me in the House of Correction,” said Leneal Harris. “I was at a low point.” Now, he has a job and a future.
“It really saved my life,” Harris said. Ja’Ron Smith, a special assistant to the president for domestic policy, was impressed by what he saw at the Joseph Project.
“It’s much needed in partnership with the passage of the First Step Act or any type of reform that comes with giving people second chances,” he said. “Having local leadership like this is important.”