Obama calls nation's criminal justice system 'an injustice system'

[onehandle]

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

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Noting that the United States has more prisoners in jail than the top 35 European countries combined, President Obama said Tuesday the time has come to repair the nation's criminal justice system. Obama, speaking to thousands of NAACP members at the group's convention in Philadelphia, called for putting an end to harsh court sentences for nonviolent crimes, improving conditions in the nation's jails, and allowing ex offenders to vote.

He was critical of the mass incarceration of Americans for being disproportionately punitive toward African-Americans and Latinos and not reflective of the nation's ideals. "Any system that allows us to turn a blind eye to hopelessness and despair - that's not a justice system," Obama told a packed hall at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. "That's an injustice system."

Obama said the nation's criminal justice system is "one aspect of American life that remains particularly skewed by race and by wealth, a source of inequity that has ripple effects on families and on communities and ultimately on our nation." He was cheered when he gave the crowd his definition of justice.

"Justice is living up to the common creed that says, I am my brother's keeper and my sister's keeper," Obama said. "Justice is making sure every young person knows they are special and they are important and that their lives matter -- not because they heard it in a hashtag, but because of the love they feel every single day -- -- not just love from their parents, not just love from their neighborhood, but love from police, love from politicians. "Love from somebody who lives on the other side of the country, but says, that young person is still important to me."

snip...

On Wednesday, former President Clinton will speak at the convention, followed in the evening by the nation's first African American attorney general, Loretta Lynch.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20150715_NAACP_to_hear_Obama_urge_criminal_justice_reforms.html

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Lots of helicopter traffic and and black vehicles here in Philly today.

President Obama has been in Philly a lot lately. And next year he will be here to promote our next President at the Democratic National Convention, his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

[temporary311]

1. First step to start fixing it, end the so-called war on drugs.

[red dog 1]

2. What about the "injustice system" that tried, convicted, & imprisoned Don Siegelman?

How about doing something about that, Mr. President?

After all, it was YOUR Justice Department that asked Judge Fuller to LENGTHEN Gov. Siegelman's prison sentence.


(K&R, thanks for posting, onehandle).

[JDPriestly]

3. Yes. Free Don Siegelman.

[heaven05]

9. what did Siegelman do, say

or know about rove and co to have incurred such wrath? There is something very much under the surface here that stinks to high heaven. And I have to believe that my POTUS is aware of this case and is facing some kind of problem in releasing him. I can't believe rove still has that type of power over Obama and the Justice Department. I won't believe that.

[Fred Sanders]

4. How many times does one hear of "love", "hope" and "grace" from a Republican? These are the

attributes that make America exceptional, not the dung dropping fascists and religious extremists that shun all those words.

It has been a very good month for America's leader.

Keep the foot on their throats, sir.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. It is the truth

I don't like Obama's right of center governing but he's also done some
very great things, when he is allowed to

And I do have the sense he's worked very hard, and is accelerating
as time goes by!! Amazing! He has seized the agenda on so many
things and drawn such a stark contrast to the Obstructionists in
Congress

This is like the reverse of his first 5 years where they blocked and
bargained and moved the goal posts. Now they're painted into a
corner with their own ideology and cannot change!

Obama always took the long view, and it's paying off because he's
larger than they could ever dream of being.

[HooptieWagon]

6. DoJ is in the Executive Branch.

Obama is in charge, and he just now noticed? Maybe they been preoccupied protecting criminal bankers?

[heaven05]

7. excellent!!!!

more truth...from on high.....

[Comrade Grumpy]

8. Obama has been the smartest and sanest president on drug policy in decades.

This is not his first move on the issue, by far.

This is an issue that severely impact black America.

[2banon]

10. The so called "Radical Far Left" has been saying this for decades.

Glad to hear Obama say it out loud before he leaves office.. but I guess it'll have to take another century for any real actual reform to be enacted, along with so many other shameful conditions we, the "Radical FAR Left" keep harping on about and expect our Democratic Party leadership to deal with straight on.

Oh.. wait. nevermind.

[d_legendary1]

11. Of course its an injustice system

Poor people get locked up and rich people get off with a slap on the wrist. The color of their skin can tell you how often they'll get pulled over or stopped. In states where pot is legal the feds still lock people up. Hell, there was a story not too long ago about a woman who was going to be arrested for having her lawn too big!

Its disgusting what passes as justice now a days.

[Cha]

12. thanks onehandle

[moondust]

13. Did he mention for-profit prisons?

Taking the profit motive out of incarceration might be a good place to start.

[qwlauren35]

14. Hmmm

I think you mean Lynch is the first black FEMALE attorney general. You have dismissed Holder. Not sure if that was intentional.