Obama renews push for criminal justice reform

President Obama over the weekend renewed his push for criminal justice reform and again made the case that it’s wrong to imprison Americans for nonviolent drug offenses.

In his weekly address, Mr. Obama expressed confidence that Democrats and Republicans can come together and reform the nation’s sentencing laws and end the practice of locking up young people simply for smoking marijuana, for example. He again cited the fact that the U.S., with 2.2 million people behind bars, houses 25 percent of the world’s prison population.

“From the halls of Congress to the classrooms in our schools, we pledge allegiance to one nation under God with liberty, and justice, for all. Justice means that every child deserves a chance to grow up safe and secure, without the threat of violence. Justice means that the punishment should fit the crime. And justice means allowing our fellow Americans who have made mistakes to pay their debt to society, and re-join their community as active, rehabilitated citizens,” the president said. “Justice has never been easy to achieve, but it’s always been worth fighting for. And it’s something I’ll keep fighting for as long as I serve as your president.”

Mr. Obama on Wednesday will travel to West Virginia and will host a town-hall meeting on prescription drug and heroin abuse, and also will meet with state and local leaders to discuss how to respond to growing drug addiction in the state and elsewhere across the country.

During his time in office, the president has taken several key steps to address criminal justice reform, including commuting the sentences of some nonviolent drug offenders and signing a bill to reduce sentencing disparities between crack cocaine and powder cocaine offenders.

But new legislation is needed, the president said as he voiced strong support for bipartisan measures that have emerged in both the House and Senate.

“Still, much of our criminal justice system remains unfair. In recent years, more of our eyes have been opened to this truth. We can’t close them anymore. And good people, of all political persuasions, are eager to do something about it,” he said.