Obama Calls for Overhaul of Criminal Justice System
On Tuesday, fresh off the news of a successful nuclear deal with Iran, President Obama turned his attention to another fraught issue, this one on the domestic front.
On Tuesday, fresh off the news of a successful nuclear deal with Iran, President Obama turned his attention to another fraught issue, this one on the domestic front.
Speaking before a crowd of nearly 3,000 at the annual NAACP convention in Philadelphia, the president zeroed in on America’s criminal justice system and made the case for a bipartisan-backed reform effort (per the Minneapolis Star Tribune):
“In far too many cases, the punishment simply does not fit the crime,” Obama told a crowd of more than 3,000 at the NAACP’s annual convention.
“Mass incarceration,” he added, “makes our country worse off and we need to do something about it.”
Obama ticked off statistics showing that the U.S. prison population has quadrupled since 1980 and doubled in the last two decades alone.
The costs “cannot be measured in dollars and cents” alone, he said, pointing to the disproportionate impact on blacks and Hispanics.
“There’s momentum building for reform,” Obama said, pointing to growing interest from both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill and around the country.
–Posted by Kasia Anderson
If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
With his nonstop barrage of lies, the president has degraded our electoral system to the point that any result will feel illegitimate.
The class war that gave rise to his campaign is the fault of a long line of corporate Democrats like Joe Biden, and voters know it.
A revealing new study finds the Justice Department charged just 359 such criminals in January—a decline of 25% from five years ago.
A closer look at the Trump administration's agreement with the Taliban reveals all the president's concerned with is bragging rights.
After nearly two decades, America's longest-running conflict appears to be coming to an end. Even a flawed peace deal is worth celebrating.
Since his acquittal, the president has only doubled down on his impeachable offenses, subverting both the republic and its Constitution.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.