Barack Obama became the first sitting president to visit a federal prison when he toured the El Reno prison facility in Oklahoma on Thursday. However, the president did more than just tour the prison grounds. He also spoke on the need for reforming America’s criminal justice system, while he stood behind the prison walls.
Over halfway through his second term, President Obama has begun a vigorous push to implement critical reforms to the criminal justice system. On Monday, the president commuted the sentences of 46 non-violent drug offenders. Thursday, at El Reno prison, he continued to advocate for reforming a prison system that unfairly punishes non-violent offenders.
Before boarding his flight to Oklahoma, President Obama stated:
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This is something that I’ve been thinking about a lot. The sentencing is completely out of proportion with the crime.
While he has said that he has less sympathy for violent criminals, the president has made it clear that the nation must do a better job of protecting non-violent offenders from lengthy, unjust prison sentences. He also argues that the nation must do more to rehabilitate prisoners and prepare them for re-entry into society after they have served out their sentence.
In addition to wanting to implement programs to help prisoners re-enter society, President Obama has also highlighted the need for improving conditions inside our nation’s prisons. The president has called for reducing overcrowding, cracking down on prison rapes, and curtailing the use of solitary confinement as a way to isolate and punish prisoners.
The president’s willingness to discuss the plight of America’s prisoners is virtually unprecedented. For decades, American politicians of both major parties have supported so-called “tough on crime” measures to gain political advantage. “Law and order” campaigns have a sordid history in the United States, with politicians exploiting people’s fears to maximize political advantage. In the process, those same politicians often passed Draconian laws that imposed ridiculously harsh sentences on petty drug offenders.
Barack Obama is the first president to use his bully pulpit to confront the injustices in our criminal justice system so forthrightly. In his efforts, he also has some bipartisan support. Conservative GOP Senators Mike Lee (Utah), Rand Paul (Kentucky), Chuck Grassley (Iowa) and John Cornyn (Texas) are working with Senate Democrats to create legislation that will implement some of the reforms President Obama is advocating. For the sake of the country, let’s hope that legislation is crafted and passed through both houses of congress, so that the President can sign it into law.
Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.
