( CNN ) -- Earlier this month Sen. Rand Paul ( R-Kentucky ) visited Howard University to take a swing at repairing relations between African Americans and the Republican Party . As famed sportscaster Harry Kalas would have said , it was largely a swing and a miss . Paul struck out when he tried to equate today 's Republican Party with the party of Abraham Lincoln , while ignoring much of the 150 years in between . ( He even acknowledged his mistakes shortly after ) . But his willingness to step up to the plate can provide a lesson for a GOP struggling to get on top . Republicans will not win black votes by paying lip service to party history while attacking social programs and voting rights . But they can make inroads by showing a commitment to civil rights , something Paul managed to do briefly in his remarks . Paul received applause when he told the Howard crowd , `` We should not have drug laws or a court system that disproportionately punishes the black community . '' He illustrated using one issue where the GOP can connect with black voters : criminal justice reform . Just before the 2012 elections , the NAACP took a nonpartisan survey of black voters in key swing states . We found that 55 % of African Americans believe Republicans `` do n't care at all about civil rights '' while another 32 % think the party `` just says what minorities want to hear . '' But 14 % said they would be more likely to vote for a Republican in the future , if they found a candidate who demonstrated a strong commitment to civil rights . Mass incarceration is a fundamental civil rights issue . African Americans make up 40 % of the 2.4 million people in America 's bloated prison system . That includes the vast majority of those in prison for nonviolent drug offenses . If current trends continue , one in three black males born today can expect to spend time in prison during his life . As Paul demonstrated , mass incarceration is also a fundamental conservative issue . State spending on prisons has tripled over the last 30 years , reaching $ 70 billion in 2008 . Federal prisons are at 139 % capacity , often thanks to harsh mandatory minimum sentences . And who pays for all these guards , beds and three square meals a day ? Taxpayers . In fact , some red states have led the way on criminal justice reform . In Georgia , South Carolina and Texas , Republican legislatures have teamed up with progressives to increase options for parole and reduce mandatory minimums . In Texas , the NAACP and progressive activists worked with leaders of the Tea Party to pass a dozen reform measures . Last year , Texas scheduled the first prison closure in state history . Rand Paul is not the first national Republican leader to speak up , either . Newt Gingrich and Jeb Bush are both members of the conservative think tank Right on Crime . And in 2011 , Gingrich joined Grover Norquist and other unlikely allies - including Mike Jiminez , the president of California 's prison guard union -- to endorse the NAACP 's report , Misplaced Priorities : Over Incarcerate , Under Educate . The report revealed how the rise in prison spending has caused states to spend less on education . These alliances should draw the attention of Republican leaders . Many Democrats shy away from talking about criminal justice reform , for fear of being labeled `` soft on crime . '' According to the NAACP 's election survey , 42 % of African American voters believe the Democratic Party is failing them on criminal justice . The GOP has a chance to fill the leadership vacuum and demonstrate their civil rights bona fides . Paul is poised to lead the conversation on criminal justice reform . At Howard he touted the `` Justice Safety Valve Act of 2013 , '' which he recently introduced with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy , the Democratic senator from Vermont . The bill would allow federal judges to bypass federal mandatory minimum sentences if the sentence is too lengthy or if it simply does not fit the crime . Paul told students that his friends called him `` either brave or crazy '' for showing up at Howard University , a statement that says more about his friends than the audience at Howard . Nonetheless , Paul and his Republican Party would display true bravery , and political savvy , by taking this opportunity to walk Lincoln 's walk and take on the new Jim Crow . Moving from `` tough on crime '' to `` smart on crime '' would be good for this country . It would also be a smart move for the Republican Party if they ever hope to get on base with black voters . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Benjamin Todd Jealous .
Benjamin Jealous : Rand Paul 's attempt to heal rift between blacks and GOP fell short . The Kentucky senator is trying to win over black voters in the South by touting his support for criminal justice reform -- a position that has been anathema to many of them. One way is criminal justice reform , Jealous says . Jealous : Sentencing reform , education would bring down spending . GOP , get on board .