booker-criminaljustice

Detroit Lions cornerback Johnson Bademosi joins U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, in shirtsleeves, and Booker's senior counsel, Roscoe Jones, left, at a meeting to discuss criminal justice legislation. (Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media | NJ.com)

WASHINGTON -- Despite the support of President Barack Obama and a bipartisan coalition in the Senate that included liberal Democrats and tea party Republicans, proponents of legislation to provide alternatives to prison for nonviolent offenders came up short in the last Congress.

Then Donald Trump, running on a law-and-order platform, won the White House, and chose as his attorney general Jeff Sessions, who as a U.S. senator from Alabama opposed efforts to overhaul criminal justice laws.

Undeterred, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and other supporters are renewing their push for legislation, and some National Football League players are willing to try to open up a path to success.

"This issue is personal to a lot of us," said Detroit Lions cornerback Johnson Bademosi, whose father was arrested and deported after being arrested for selling drugs. "It affected me and affected a lot of people I play with."

Bademosi, Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and former wide receiver Donte Stallworth have been on Capitol Hill this week buttonholing senators and pushing criminal justice legislation.

"It's all affected us," Bademosi said. "We all see these people who look like us killed in the streets. That makes me sad. That makes me angry. We need action."

Not only does criminal justice legislation have support across traditional partisan and political divides, but so does professional football, Booker said.

"They can make a difference in this space," Booker said. "They have the ability to reach people who are not engaged or focused on politics."

Just as Booker has made common cause with Tea Party Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky, progressive groups have teamed up with energy executives Charles and David Koch, a major campaign contributors to conservative causes and candidates.

"We would very much like to engage on this issue with the president and Congress if the opportunity presents itself," said Mark Holden, senior vice president and general counsel and corporate secretary of Koch Industries. "I know the Senate and the House are interested in putting the bills back out there at some point."

Both Holden and Bademosi acknowledged that other issues, such as health care and overhauling the tax code, is dominating debate.

Stallworth said there should be room for criminal justice as well.

"We're just trying to push the envelope the best we can," Stallworth said. "It's easy to look at people who are incarcerated as criminals and not human beings."

Despite Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail, his adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has met with senators pushing to overhaul criminal justice laws, giving hope to advocates that progress could be made.

"The administration is still forming policy," Booker said. "This is the time to engage."

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.