8 Excellent Points Martin O'Malley Made When Outlining His Criminal Justice Plan

[elleng]

Protesters have demanded that politicians take a stand on social justice failures. On Friday, Martin O'Malley explained his criminal justice system plan. He hit a lot of key facets of the criminal justice system's shortcomings. Coming at crime through a social justice lens, O'Malley actually makes a lot of really good points.

The former Maryland governor spoke at the National Urban League conference to highlight his ideas on the subject. He also released a nine-page paper on criminal justice and gave an interview with Ebony Magazine that explained his reasoning and predicted the national response to such a plan.

Coming out with such an open-minded list of tactics to improve a failing criminal justice system was a smart idea for the O'Malley campaign. When protesters interrupted O'Malley at the Netroots Nation Conference in July, he faltered when he replied, "Black lives matter. White lives matter. All lives matter.” Many voters interpret "all lives matter" as a challenge to the popular "Black lives matter" campaign.

The incident put O'Malley on unsteady footing for the black vote, so releasing this plan was a good political strategy. And as much as American voters hate the idea of political games, that doesn't mean that his ideas are wrong. Here are eight points from O'Malley's plans that he's right about.

The Death Penalty Is Not A Good Idea.

We Need Trust In The Police.

Marijuana Should Be Reclassified.

Private Prisons Should Not Exist.

The Immigration System Is Not Working.

We're Failing At Addiction And Mental Illness.

There's A Criminal Justice Problem In Schools.

Economic Inequality Slashes Too Deep.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/101595-8-excellent-points-martin-omalley-made-when-outlining-his-criminal-justice-plan

[Fred Sanders]

1. Bang on on ever substantive point. Private prisons? Who ever thought that would not be a mess?

I am unsure of Clinton's position on abolishing private for profit prisons, I know about the "bundled issue which I consider a distraction, but what is her position contrasted with O'Malley's on closing these monstrosities of Justice?

[elleng]

2. I don't know her actual positions;

MAYBE we'll find out???

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Short answer, Reagan here, Thatcher there.

US and UK started this crap within a few years of one another. Currently 11% of prisoners in UK are in privately operated prisons. 16% of US Fed prisoners, 6% of State Prisoners are in privately run facilities. The Feds use them like crazy for immigration detentions.

"If this is how Her Majesty treats her prisoners, she doesn't deserve to have any."- Oscar Wilde

[FSogol]

3. K & R. n/t