Considering the number of people this program has the potential to help, the Fresh Start ushers us into the new year on a hopeful note. While it remains to be seen whether The Boston Globe will follow through with reforming its system for criminal reporting, it has set a necessary precedent for reexamining established journalistic practices.

Nearly 6,000 inmates nationwide incarcerated for drug-related crimes became eligible for earlier release beginning Sunday as a result of an amendment to the U.S. Sentencing Commission guidelines. In...