Sen. Bernie Sanders has a Racial Justice agenda on his website.

[KeepItReal]

Last edited Sun Aug 9, 2015, 06:04 PM - Edit history (1)

https://berniesanders.com/issues/racial-justice/

Can't wait to see the other campaigns' agendas.

UPDATE:

Here's Gov. Martin O'Malley's platform on Criminal Justice Reform: https://martinomalley.com/policy/criminal-justice/

[djean111]

1. And he presented it two weeks ago, at the SCLC.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/26/1405760/-Bernie-s-strong-words-today-at-Southern-Christian-Leadership-Conference

Bernie Sanders spoke today in Baton Rouge, LA, at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,the African American civil rights organization whose first president was Martin Luther King Jr.

Really amazing speech. Interesting that in the first part of his speech he makes the case that just before MLK's assassination economic issues were becoming the central focus of his advocacy.

[artislife]

2. Just one topic under discussion

PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
PERPETRATED BY THE STATE
Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Rekia Boyd, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, Samuel DuBose. We know their names. Each of them died unarmed at the hands of police officers or in police custody. The chants are growing louder. People are angry and they have a right to be angry. We should not fool ourselves into thinking that this violence only affects those whose names have appeared on TV or in the newspaper. African Americans are twice as likely to be arrested and almost four times as likely to experience the use of force during encounters with the police.

[onecaliberal]

3. This is exactly why I don't believe BLM supposed

Leaders. There is clearly an agenda and it's not racial justice.

[djean111]

4. Oh, this does not fit the agenda, and will be studiously ignored.

And O'Malley was responsible for the mass crackdowns in Baltimore, arresting many people of color for any and every little thing - "keeping them off the streets" - and I believe that directly led to the attitude the police have today. But he put out a "detailed plan" - as if anyone who gets elected can just put their detailed plans in action - and is hailed as a hero.
This is why I an leery of BLM motives.

[questionseverything]

26. omalleys zero tolerance and unconstitutional broken windows policy

from his baltimore days is why i could never support him

i think it is nothing more than lip service

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. Doesn't seem to matter. Why is that?

[Maedhros]

7. Because that's not the objective.

The objective is to destroy the candidacy of Hillary's opponent. BLM said so, straight up. Bernie is the "enemy".

[Johnyawl]

14. The objective is to destroy a real left-wing grassroots movement...

...that could threaten the oligarchy. Hillary will certainly benefit from derailing Sanders, even if she has no fingerprints on it.

[bettyellen]

12. It has been missing for months, Grumpy. That mattered. BLM did well.

[SonderWoman]

6. That is a brand new item under his issues section.

Good for Bernie.

[George II]

8. You should check Clinton's website, she goes into the issues she sees as important.

Of course, it won't be "good enough" for many here but she also has decades of national leadership and/or experience.

[KeepItReal]

11. I did and don't see any content pertaining to Racial Justice

If you know of something posted on her site that I missed, please share a link.

Thank you.

[George II]

15. It's in a different format that Sanders' site. Here's something you may have missed, though..

...going back to April:

http://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-clinton-gave-a-major-speech-on-racial-discrimination-2015-4

[KeepItReal]

16. That's an article about a speech on Business Insider, not a platform on her website

eom

[George II]

19. In that speech she laid out her outline for addressing racial injustice.

She has given a speech on the issue. President Obama gave a sweeping address on the issue.

The absolute best thing that Sanders can do is sit down and put his thoughts into a comprehensive address/speech, then set up a forum in which to deliver it, as Clinton and Obama have done.

He could put most of this issue behind him with something like that.

[KeepItReal]

20. Dude did you even read the OP or Post #1?

eom

[George II]

22. Yes, dude, I read both of them.

As I said, Hillary Clinton addresses this on her site (not in as much detail as you'd like) AND she's laid out her position on this issue in a comprehensive speech four months ago.

There is no doubt where she stands and has stood for some time.

I knew that whatever she did or said wouldn't be good enough. No surprise here.

[KeepItReal]

23. You fail to link to content on HillaryClinton.com that supports your claim

And say "whatever she did or said wouldn't be good enough"

Psychological Projection at its best

[djean111]

27. Good enough to what? Have supporters of other candidates switch support to

Hillary? I really believe that here at DU, very few are purists or one-issue supporters. I think that, for everyone, it is a misuse of time trying to campaign here. The important thing is to convince those who do not already support someone. Outside of DU. IMO.

[ljm2002]

21. So I guess you missed Reply #1...

...with a link to the speech Bernie Sanders gave at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference a couple weeks ago.

Actually I'm betting you didn't miss it at all. And I don't feel like letting LIES like your LIE OF OMISSION go unchallenged.

This shit is getting really old.

[George II]

24. From the Dailykos blog post:

"Here is a link to a periscope video of this talk: https://www.periscope.tv/...="

Click on the link and you get: "Broadcast not found…"

Next?

Have a pleasant evening.

[ljm2002]

25. Well I guess that proves it didn't happen then...

...in your bizarro lie-filled world.

Next?

[djean111]

28. You cannot possibly think you are actually helping Hillary's campaign with this stuff.

Really, you are not. Unless you are just agitating for the fun of it. Which, again, not a help to Hillary at all.

[Enthusiast]

9. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

That is a thing of beauty! Comprehensive! No one could argue with the points outlined.

[bettyellen]

10. Finally!! Such an important step. Love that he is calling out domestic terrorists too!

[bigtree]

13. oops, new plan from Bernie - must have just put it up

..reading it.

here's O'Malley's:

O'Malley's Jul 31 plan, assisted by influential criminal justice experts, includes:

Mandated and Expanded Data Reporting. The FBI does not collect data on police-involved shootings. Local data is also poor and incomplete. O’Malley has called for—and will strongly support—legislation to require law enforcement agencies to report data on all police-involved shootings, custodial deaths, discourtesy complaints, and use of excessive force. This data should be centralized in a universal database and made publicly available, allowing communities to observe trends and develop policy responses when necessary.

**Establish a National Use of Force Standard**. State laws governing when police officers can use excessive force vary greatly. In order to protect citizen and officer safety, O’Malley will put forward national guidelines on the use of force, linked to the expanded mandatory reporting detailed above. He will support legislation to require states to review and amend their own use of force laws to comply with federal guidelines.

Expand Community Collaboration and Civilian Review of Police Departments. O’Malley would reward and encourage police departments to implement best practices in goal-oriented community policing, including through the eligibility criteria in federal grant programs. These include undergoing racial bias training and crisis de-escalation training; establishing internal accountability measures to track and review civilian complaints and address officer misconduct; and creating and empowering civilian review boards to independently monitor and audit policing cases.

Use Technology to Advance Transparency. O’Malley will work with law enforcement, advocates, and other stakeholders to establish national standards for deploying and developing technology, while protecting privacy and communities’ access to data produced by body cameras or similar tools.

**Encourage Independent Investigations of Policing Cases.** Local prosecutors must work closely with local police on a day-to-day basis, creating possible conflicts of interest in cases regarding police misconduct. As a result, states and cities have begun to appoint special independent prosecutors—or prosecutors from other jurisdictions—in cases where police use deadly force. O’Malley will make these measures model practices, and support legislation to encourage all states to adopt them.

**Strengthen Federal Civil Rights Protections.**Under the Obama Administration, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has successfully launched investigations into the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Michael Brown. However, the Department’s ability to prosecute cases is limited because federal officials must meet a very high legal standard to bring civil rights charges. O’Malley would call on Congress to revise this standard so that the federal government can act as an effective backstop for ensuring justice.

Reform Civil Asset Forfeiture to Prioritize Public Safety. O’Malley will support bipartisan efforts in Congress to reform civil forfeiture statutes, reorienting law enforcement activity toward improving public safety and community policing.

Eliminate the Sentencing Disparity Between Crack and Powder Cocaine. This sentencing disparity has resulted in vast racial disparities within the justice system. Before Congress lowered the sentencing ratio in 2010 from 100:1 to 18:1, unjustifiably higher penalties for crack offenses led to African Americans serving roughly as much time for non-violent offenses as whites for violent offenses. O’Malley has called for and will continue to support legislation to completely eliminate this sentencing disparity.

**Declassify Marijuana as a Schedule I Drug.** O’Malley will direct the Attorney General to move to reclassify marijuana, while supporting bipartisan congressional efforts to legislatively reclassify marijuana as a Schedule II drug.

Reform Mandatory Minimum Sentencing. O’Malley will support legislation that eliminates mandatory minimums for low-level drug offenses, while giving judges more flexibility to tailor sentences based on the facts of each case. He will also continue the Department of Justice’s successful Smart on Crime initiative, directing U.S. Attorneys to exercise greater discretion in their charging decisions.

Forge Consensus for Ending the Death Penalty. O’Malley has long opposed the death penalty as a matter of principle and as a matter of policy. As president, he will continue to oppose capital punishment and work to abolish death sentences under federal laws.

Make Robust Investments in Drug Treatment. O’Malley will work to expand existing federal grants to states to support comprehensive drug treatment systems. He will call for tripling the number of states eligible for grants, as well as increasing the aid provided to each state. He will call for requiring states to make matching investments—ensuring that addiction is treated, and not ignored, at the local level. He will also support regulations and legislation to expand evidence-based treatment for addiction under Medicare and Medicaid.

Make Robust Investments in Community Mental Health Infrastructure. Although the rate of serious mental illness is two to six times higher among incarcerated populations, more than 80 percent of people with mental illness in jails and prisons do not receive care. O’Malley will invest to provide adequate mental health treatment and substance abuse treatment within correctional facilities. Additionally, he will call for community-based recovery for individuals suffering from mental illness, setting a national target for reducing the number of Americans with serious mental illness behind bars. He will work with Congress to make critically needed investments in housing, supported employment, and outpatient treatment.

Train and Equip Law Enforcement to Serve People in Crisis. O’Malley will establish federal guidelines for law enforcement on how to best serve people in crisis—including de-escalating encounters, equipping specialized staff and response teams, and intervening in partnership with civilian service providers. He will use existing federal funds to support state Crisis Intervention Training, work with Congress to make additional investments, and require states to adopt federal crisis intervention guidelines.

Enforce and Codify Federal Discipline Guidelines. Federal law already prohibits public school districts from administering student discipline in a discriminatory way. The Departments of Education and Justice put forward guidance last year to help schools identify, avoid, and remedy discriminatory discipline, so that all schools ensure equal educational opportunities for all students. O’Malley will enforce this guidance by bringing federal investigations or charges when necessary, and call to codify the guidance into law.

Reinvest in Other Services and Supports for Teachers and Students. O’Malley will invest in federal grants to help deploy counselors and other school staff, including by reprioritizing existing federal funding currently used to place law enforcement officers in schools.

Ensure Access to Counsel and Legal Assistance. O’Malley would invest to protect every American’s constitutional right to counsel, providing funding for legal aid programs and public defenders, and ensuring their independence.

Use Detention Only as a Last Resort. O’Malley will direct the Department of Homeland Security to use alternatives to detention for the vast majority of people, including for all children, families, LGBT individuals, and other vulnerable individuals. This includes using the family placement and community-based supervision policies he successfully implemented in Maryland. He will also work with Congress to repeal mandatory detention and deportation laws, and to codify higher detention standards. When detention must be used, O’Malley will ensure conditions are humane and in line with our basic values as a nation. O’Malley will direct federal prosecutors to focus only on priority entry and reentry cases—those involving national security or serious crimes—and work with Congress to repeal the Operation Streamline program.

Disentangle Local Law Enforcement From Immigration Enforcement. Our immigration policies have fallen short of their goal to pinpoint and detain individuals who pose a clear and present danger to public safety. Instead, they have created an indiscriminate dragnet that can encourage racial profiling and undermines trust between law enforcement and New American communities. O’Malley has outlined his plan for disentangling law enforcement from immigration enforcement, including by closing loopholes in DOJ guidance that allow DHS agencies to profile Americans based on their ethnicity and religion.

Set High Standards for Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP is the nation’s largest law enforcement agency, and CBP officers must have the support and tools they need to do their jobs well. O’Malley will require CBP to implement the best practices in law enforcement, including equipping officers with body cameras, tracking and disclosing discourtesy and brutality complaints, providing robust training, and holding agents accountable for the use of excessive force.

Ensure Due Process. O’Malley will also implement critical reforms to expand due process protections in our detention and immigration systems, including providing counsel for immigrants in deportation proceedings, increasing the number of immigration judges and courts, ending telephonic and video hearings for detainees, and ensuring language access.

Invest in Job-Training Programs That Work to Reduce Recidivism. O’Malley will build on successful programs in Maryland and other states to train, place, and support those exiting the criminal justice system so they can secure employment. As president, he will work with Congress to secure additional funding for—and legislation that expands—community-based job training programs.

Support Reentry Programming. O’Malley will work with Congress to reauthorize and expand funding for Second Chance Act programs, and other important services that ease the transition back to the outside world. Such services include referrals for housing and benefits, substance abuse treatment, mentoring, education, and job training.

Expand Good Time Credits. O’Malley will support legislation to allow people in federal prison to earn sentence-reduction credits by completing education and reentry programs. More broadly, he will support evidence-based, cost-effective reforms that allow people in prisons or jails to earn more good time credit for greater sentence reductions than federal law currently allows.

Support Access to Higher Education in Prison. O’Malley will use existing funds and work with Congress to support multi-year educational and vocational training programs in correctional facilities, including providing funding for professional teachers and staff. He will also support legislation and take executive action to restore eligibility for Pell Grants for people in state and federal prison.

Dramatically Reduce the Use of Solitary Confinement and Ban Solitary for Juveniles. As president, O’Malley will reverse the runaway growth of solitary confinement, limiting its use to the most serious in-prison offenders. He will also fight to pass legislation banning the federal use of solitary confinement for juveniles nationally.

Provide Pathways to Full Restoration of Rights and Benefits. Nearly one in three Americans has a criminal record that, because of employer biases and state laws, could prevent them from even being considered for good-paying jobs. Moreover, nearly six million Americans are denied the fundamental right to vote because of regressive state laws that target people with felony convictions. This results in one out of every 13 African Americans being unable to vote.

Ban the Box. O’Malley will use existing federal dollars to encourage states to adopt “fair chance” policies, which direct employers to delay criminal record inquiries and individually assess job applicants based on their qualifications. He will make the federal government a model employer by adopting fair chance hiring policies for all federal contractors and agencies.

**Expunge or Seal Criminal Records.** O’Malley will also support legislation that provides paths to recourse for people with criminal records. This includes automatically expunging or sealing juvenile records, so young people have a fair chance to turn around their lives; allowing some categories of formerly incarcerated people to petition a court to seal their records; and expunging the records of arrests that did not lead to formal charges.

Restore Voting Rights to People with Felony Records and Ensure Access to Temporary Support. O’Malley will call for and strongly support legislation that would end the drug felon ban on access to SNAP and TANF assistance.

Work to Eliminate For-Profit Prisons and Phase Out Federal For-Profit Prisons. This includes closing for-profit immigration detention centers, while using alternatives to detention in the immigration context whenever possible.

read more: http://t.co/b6QMEcCmrk

[KeepItReal]

17. Thank you. Updated the OP with your link.

eom

[cyberswede]

18. K&R