In a speech to the annual convention of the NAACP in Philadelphia on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama made the case for criminal justice reform that, at its most noteworthy points, candidly addressed the effects of overpolicing, the scourge of mass incarceration, and the impact of institutional racism. “In recent years, the eyes of more…
Illinois may soon become the latest state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. A bill that passed the Illinois House of Representatives in a 62-53 vote last week would remove the threat of arrest, instead resulting in a fine. A person would be allowed to carry up to 15 grams without facing jail…
Sometimes it takes a seminal event to spark change. That might be taking place today in regards to the militarization of the nation’s police departments. The image of police wearing military uniforms, brandishing assault weapons in the streets of a small Midwestern town, firing tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters, and arresting journalists is…
Baseball, apple pie, Chevrolet, and… prisons? America’s three most iconic things could probably be expanded to include incarceration. Consider this: nearly 1 in 100 Americans (including the childhood population) are behind bars. Amazingly, 1 in every 35 adults in the United States are either in probation, parole or incarcerated. China has a far lower prison…
