By Matt Ferner With Democrats holding the White House and Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress, it’s been suggested that the odds are slim of any major legislation becoming law over the next two years.

But officials in the Obama administration and on Capitol Hill say there is one issue that may have enough cross-party appeal to break through the logjams. That issue is criminal justice reform.

“It is on my list of things that are in the sphere of the possible,” said one top Obama administration official who discussed the president’s legislative priorities on condition of anonymity. “We are going to work hard at it … Putting a bipartisan imprint on sentencing reform would be a big achievement.”

President Barack Obama has long sought solutions to address the nation’s soaring rates of mass incarceration. And the administration official described a “hopeful” mood in the White House regarding the chances of serious reform by 2016. Part of the reason for cautious optimism is that some high-profile Republicans share the objective. Libertarian-leaning Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has been open about his concern with racial disparities in incarceration rates. Paul, who is likely to run for president in 2016, may reason that it’s in his interest to have a major legislative victory along with bipartisan credentials under his belt.

Last session, Paul’s office alone introduced five bills dealing with everything from scaling back mandatory minimum sentencing to civil asset forfeiture reform to shielding medical marijuana businesses from federal intervention. Most recently, Paul teamed up with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to introduce the REDEEM Act, aimed at reducing the national prison population and rolling back draconian sentencing rules.

“I think there is potential for greater gains with Republicans and Democrats on these issues,” said a senior …read more

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