Pope Francis is expected to discuss criminal justice reform with Congress

Pope Francis is expected to make criminal justice reform a key feature of his visit to the United States next week.

The pontiff plans to visit inmates at a Philadelphia prison, and he'll further highlight the need for criminal justice reform while speaking in front of both houses of Congress. This is the first time a pope will address Congress in toto, and his speech comes as senators like Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) work together on justice system reforms.

Pope Francis has previously argued that "all Christians and men of good will are called today to fight not just for the abolition of the death penalty in all its forms, whether it be legal or illegal, but also the goal of improving prison conditions, out of respect of the human dignity of people deprived of their freedom."

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