Attorney General Eric Holder proposed major reforms this week to the country’s prison system. Under new Justice Department rules, some nonviolent drug offenders will no longer face mandatory minimum sentences.

Attorney General Eric Holder: “Too many Americans go to prison for far too long and for no truly good law enforcement reason.”

Many religious groups welcomed the change. Justice Fellowship, a prominent Christian prison ministry, said mandatory sentences can turn nonviolent offenders into hardened criminals by the time they are released.

Watch our reports on Mass Incarceration and Communities in Prison.