Biden unveils plan to end racial discrimination in U.S. criminal justice system

[Right_in_Virginia]

Biden unveils plan to end racial discrimination in U.S. criminal justice system
Reuters, Jul 23, 2019, Tim Reid

Former Vice President Joe Biden unveiled a plan on Tuesday to reform the U.S. criminal justice system by lowering incarceration rates, ending the federal death penalty and eliminating racial disparities in how people are sentenced.

Biden, the Democratic front-runner in the party’s nominating contest to take on Republican President Donald Trump in next year’s election, has faced criticism over his support for a 1994 crime bill that some say contributed to mass incarceration, especially of black men.

That bill, signed into law by former Democratic President Bill Clinton when Biden was a U.S. senator, greatly increased funding for the construction of new federal prisons and included a ‘three strikes’ provision, which required a mandatory life sentence for a person guilty of committing a severe, violent felony after two previous convictions.

On the campaign trail, Biden has said the 1994 law did not contribute to mass incarceration.


More:  https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-biden/biden-unveils-plan-to-end-racial-discrimination-in-u-s-criminal-justice-system-idUSKCN1UI137

[Right_in_Virginia]

I can't speak for everyone, but this is my number one issue.   

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Well, as long as Biden can also eliminate the racial disparity in terms of who commits crimes, I'm all for it.