קאווע שטיבל • יוסטיץ (און תפיסות) אין אמעריקע

Great question. There are a number of reasons, from a lack of investment in schools and economic opportunity, to draconian drug laws and bail policies that criminalize poverty, to inadequate reentry services and employment discrimination against people who have been incarcerated, just to name a few

But let’s start with the numbers. The United States has less than five percent of the world’s population, but about 25 percent of the prisoners. That adds up to 2.2 million people behind bars in this country, including more than 11 million people who move through our local jails each year, all at a cost of $80 billion every year. Meanwhile 70 million people – about one-third of working age Americans – have some type of criminal record

When President Obama laid out his Administration’s principles for criminal justice reform (here), he argued that we need to take a comprehensive approach by focusing on three places: the community, the court room, and the cell block. All of this is predicated on a simple belief: Criminal justice reform done right will make our communities safer

First, we focus on the community, because the roots of crime and incarceration are too often planted in underfunded schools and neighborhoods where jobs dried up long ago – where there is a dearth of hope for the future and support for our young people. The school to prison pipeline traps too many girls and boys who should be learning in supportive environments, not being sent to juvenile detention. And where there are few resources for schools, job training, or economic development, cycles of poverty and incarceration continue unabated

Second, we focus on our courtrooms, because too often Americans are put behind bars with sentences that do not fit their actions. Too many young people who really just need love, support, and mentorship are treated instead unmercifully as adults. Victims of addiction or commercial sexual exploitation are often imprisoned rather than given treatment. Poor Americans can spend weeks or months in jail simply because they can’t afford to pay the price of a fee, fine, or bond. Harmful mandatory minimum sentences for an excessive amount of time that is disproportionate to the crime do not keep our communities safer. They tear apart families, and can weaken the human fabric of our communities

Third, we need to focus on our cell blocks, because those who are incarcerated in America too often leave prison with less capacity to succeed than when they first sentenced. They are released – often into a world far different than the one they left behind – without the skills and capability to lead law-abiding lives. As a result, they fall victim to the revolving prison doors. And that is why earlier this year, the President established the Federal Interagency Reentry Council to reduce the barriers that millions of justice-involved individual face each year when returning to their communities from prison and jails



So there are many reasons for our high incarceration rates, and the President is proud that we have accomplished a lot in many of these areas. For instance, the President is committed to using his clemency power to give deserving individuals sentenced under outdated and unduly harsh sentencing laws a second chance. That’s why he has commuted 348 sentences – more than the past seven presidents combined



Last week, we announced a Second Chance Pell Pilot program to test new models to help incarcerated Americans receive the education necessary to obtain employment upon their release. We have invested in mentoring, job training, and new reentry programs. We have brought together leaders in the private sector and higher education, as well as in state and local government, to catalyze reforms, from banning the box, to Data-Driven Justice, including more effective diversion programs. We have done a lot of which we are proud

But we also believe strongly that Federal criminal justice legislation would be an important, strong step forward for our country. And we have been optimistic about the prospects for reform because of how this effort has galvanized people from across the political spectrum

There is a strong, bipartisan bill in the Senate that has passed out of Committee, is just waiting for a vote in the Senate, and we are confident would pass. The bill would do four important things: reduce mandatory minimums for certain nonviolent drug offenders; provide current prisoners with the tools and incentives to turn their lives around; give nonviolent juvenile offenders who have served their sentences the second chances they deserve; give judges greater discretion to make sure that the sentence fits the crimes; and reinvest savings from criminal justice reform into public safety programs. This is legislation that would improve public safety and save hundreds of millions of dollars, as the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office just reported

In the House of Representatives, Speaker Ryan has voiced strong support publicly for reform, and the Judiciary Committee continues to work through legislative proposals. But the reality is the clock continues to tick, and unfortunately, although there is strong bipartisan support for these reforms that would make our neighborhoods safer, strengthen our economy, and align our system more with our values, Congress has failed to take action. We know mass incarceration is not good for our country and does not make us safer. It is long past time for us to come together across party lines at the Federal level and do something about it

Long answer, I know, but many books have been written on the topic!

ברם זכור אותו האיש לטובה, פרעזידענט אבאמא האט היינט פארקורצערט די לאנג טערמיניגע טורמע אורטיילן פון צוויי הונדערט פערצן low level offenders און זיי וועלן ארויסגעלאזט ווערן אין די גאר נאנטע תקופה. דאס איז א רעקארד ברעכענדע ציפער פון קלעמענסיס און פארדאנען אין אן איינצעלע טאג. אלעס צוזאמען האט שוין די פרעזידענט באפרייט פינף הונדערט צוויי און זעכציג אין די לעצטע יאר צייט. אקטאוויסטן האפן אז די פרעזידענט וועט ווייטער אנגיין מיט די הומאניטערישע ארבייט און באפרייען נאך, ווי אויך איז צום האפן אז דאס וועט האבן עטוואס אן השפעה לטובה צו ווייך מאכן די שטיינערנע הארץ פון די אמעריקאנער יוסטיץ דעפארטמענט אז זיי זאלן באהאנדלן פארברעכער מער הומאניטעריש. די פרעזידענט האט אין א הארץ-דערווארעמדיגע מעסעדש אויף פעיסבוק געשריבן אז אין אמעריקא פארדינט א יעדער איינער א צווייטע טשאנס. זכר צדיק לברכה.


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