Ravens Players, Leaders Urge Support Of First Step Act

Some Baltimore Ravens players are getting political -- not by running for office, but by standing up for an issue that is very important to some of them: prison reform.

A little more than a dozen players and top office personnel signed a letter that was sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, showing their support for the First Step Act, a bill that will completely change the corrections system and give deserving people a second chance.

PDF: Read the Ravens' letter

The letter was signed by Ravens President Dick Cass, front office staff, and players Javorius Allen, Brandon Carr, Morgan Cox, Matt Judon, Anthony Levine Sr., Chris Moore, C.J. Mosley, Justin Tucker and Brandon Williams.

"I believe that people are deserving of second chances and opportunities for them to correct their mistakes, but also an opportunity for them to help others as well that maybe are going down that path, that route, or just need some help getting off that path," Carr said.

The First Step Act is described as bipartisan criminal justice legislation that would completely revamp the Federal Bureau of Prisons and could improve the lives of hundreds of thousands men and women in prison.

"Sentencing reform is one very simple, obvious, concrete way that we can give families a chance to get back together, give former inmates a second chance when they have proven that they deserve one," Tucker said.

The players came up with the idea after meeting with their community relations department and talking about the need for prison reform. So they set up a meeting with U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, who told them about the First Step Act, and the letter was drafted in hopes of making a difference.

"Hopefully, somebody listens to it and you have a back bone to it, and the thought that's in your head grows to something that actually can get somebody released from prison and back to their families and community," Judon said.

The bill has already passed the House and is now in McConnell's hands. He promised earlier to call a vote in the Senate, but so far there hasn't been one. The members of the Ravens who signed the letter hope that changes.