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Trump's pick for AG *just* approved by Judiciary Committee. This is alarming. One of the chief architects of mass incarceration thinks the criminal justice system is "working overall" & denies that racism plays a role in the system he devised. My op-ed: nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…
When asked directly by @CoryBooker about prior statements denying the existence of “racism in the criminal justice system,” Barr was defensive. He could barely bring himself to acknowledge the system harmed the black community at all, let alone disproportionately.
Rather than acknowledge the disproportionate harms inflicted on black & Latinx communities, "Barr answered as if the past 3 decades of increased surveillance, violent policing, bloated jails & prisons, & ever-expanding criminal laws & mandatory sentencing schemes never existed."
Barr should know better. As AG in 1990s, he signed off on the tough-on-crime handbook, “The Case for More Incarceration,” then helped implement laws & policies escalating the war on drugs & use of pre-trial detention. America’s prison population tripled over following 2 decades.
Barr’s disregard for the truth on race & justice is disqualifying. In the last 30 years, the tentacles of the justice system have damaged nearly every aspect of society. Mass incarceration is vast & deeply racist & fails in its purported goal of reducing crime/improving safety.
There is a "Quick Vote" poll now up on @NBCNews. I think it's a softball question, but wonder what you think: "Do you think the criminal justice system is racially biased?" Vote here: nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…
