Criminal Justice System Quotes:

Once brave politicians and others explain the war on drugs' true cost, the American people will scream for a cease-fire. Bring the troops home, people will urge. Treat drugs as a health problem, not as a matter for the criminal justice system.

- Larry Elder

topic: War, Home, Fire, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system, like any system designed by human beings, clearly has its flaws.

- Ben Whishaw

source: "Biography/Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

topic: Justice, Criminals, Flaws, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

To change criminal justice policy in any meaningful way means to propose changing a very longstanding system. It's not realistic to think you can do it overnight.

- Kamala Harris

topic: Meaningful, Thinking, Justice, Criminal Justice System

As a former attorney general. I have the greatest respect for the criminal justice system. But it is not good at intelligence gathering.

- Kelly Ayotte

topic: Justice, Criminals, Gathering, Intelligence Gathering, Criminal Justice

America's criminal justice system isn't known for rehabilitation. I'm not sure that, as a society, we are even interested in that concept anymore.

- Steve Earle

source: "Death in Texas" by Steve Earle, www.theguardian.com. January 21, 2001.

topic: America, Justice, Rehabilitation, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

Our criminal justice system is fallible. We know it, even though we don't like to admit it. It is fallible despite the best efforts of most within it to do justice. And this fallibility is, at the end of the day, the most compelling, persuasive, and winning argument against a death penalty.

- Eliot Spitzer

source: "All Police Interrogations Should Be Tape-Recorded" by Eliot Spitzer, www.slate.com. October 08, 2012.

topic: Winning, Justice, Effort, Against Death Penalty, Fallibility

I represented many of these kids as they become young adults in the criminal justice system when I was a public defender. One way of reaching out is by the mind of experimentation.

- Matt Gonzalez

topic: Kids, Justice, Mind, Defenders, Criminal Justice System

I therefore believe that our system does not have a word for failed trial, and that is where the American public does not realize that our criminal justice system sometimes makes mistakes.

- Sam Sheppard

topic: Mistake, Believe, Justice, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

I want to be a figure for prison reform. I think that the criminal justice system is rotten.

- Henry Louis Gates

topic: Thinking, Justice, Rotten, Prison Reform, Prison System

Dealing with a simple burglary can require 1000 process steps and 70 forms to be completed as a case goes through the Criminal Justice System. That can't be right

- Theresa May

topic: Simple, Justice, Steps, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system should have the authority to determine the immigration status of all criminals, regardless of race or ethnicity, and report illegal immigrants who commit crimes to federal authorities.

- Susana Martinez

source: "Susana Martínez Tells Police to Check Immigration Status in New Mexico". The Associated Press, www.foxnews.com. February 01, 2011.

topic: Race, Ethnicity, Justice, Race And Ethnicity, Race Ethnicity

I went into journalism to learn the craft of writing and to get close to the world I wanted to write about -- police and criminals, the criminal justice system,

- Michael Connelly

topic: Writing, Justice, Police, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

Johnny Cash was a rebel, not only just in the musical sense, but he was somebody who was for the people, and an advocate for labor, for workers, for prisoners, people who have been trapped by the criminal justice system.

- Michael Franti

topic: Justice, People, Musical, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

We need to incorporate that age-old concept of redemption into the work that we do in the criminal justice system in California.

- Kamala Harris

topic: California, Justice, Age, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system is accurately symbolized by a large sculpture that sits at the foot of the United States attorney's building: four metal circles that interlock. The wheels of justice, as it were, frozen in legal and social gridlock.

- Jonathan Larson

topic: Circles, Feet, Justice, Criminal Justice System, Gridlock

The criminal-justice system is, obviously, the sole source of racial tension in this country [USA] or the key institution to resolving the opportunity gap. It is a part of the broader set of challenges that we face in creating a more perfect union.

- Barack Obama

source: Source: www.washingtonpost.com

topic: Country, Opportunity, Keys, Racial Tension, Criminal Justice System

When plunder becomes a way of life, men create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.

- Frederic Bastiat

source: "Economic Sophisms". Book by Frédéric Bastiat, Second series, 1848.

topic: Life, Money, Men, Systems Of Government, Monetary System

Black people are dying in this country because we have a criminal justice system which is out of control, a system in which over 50% of young African American kids are unemployed. It is estimated that a black baby born today has a one in four chance of ending up in the criminal justice system.

- Bernie Sanders

source: "O'Malley and Sanders interrupted by Black Lives Matter protesters in Phoenix" by Martin Pengelly, www.theguardian.com. July 18, 2015.

topic: Country, Baby, Kids, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

Our current criminal justice system has no provision for restorative justice, in which an offender confronts the damage they have done and tries to make it right for the people they have harmed. Instead, our system of "corrections" is about arm's-length revenge and retribution, all day and all night.

- Piper Kerman

topic: Revenge, Night, Justice, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

Race determines everything in the criminal justice system

- Mark Geragos

source: "Exclusive: Juror pushes for new laws following Zimmerman trial" By Josh Levs. Dana Ford, www.cnn.com. July 18, 2013.

topic: Race, Justice, Criminals, Criminal Justice System

There is no basis in text, tradition, or even in contemporary practice (if that were enough), for finding in the Constitution a right to demand judicial consideration of newly discovered evidence of innocence brought forward after conviction. My concern is that in making life easier for ourselves we not appear to make it harder for the lower federal courts, imposing upon them the burden of regularly analyzing newly-discovered-evidence-of-innocence claims in capital cases (in which event such federal claims, it can confidently be predicted, will become routine and even repetitive).

- Antonin Scalia

topic: Practice, Justice, Demand, Death Sentence, Factual

I think the clearest manifestation for anyone who doubts that racism and classism exist in America, all one need do is take a real serious objective look at our criminal justice system.

- Tim McDonald

topic: Real, Thinking, America, Classism, Criminal Justice

Given the realities of the U.S. criminal justice system, the prosecution may be unable to salvage this case. But just because that system fails victims on the regular doesn't mean we have to, too. French commentators are already calling for DSK to jump back into the country's presidential race and ride a wave of sympathy into office. Really, the stakes are greater than even that political prize. If we accept the narrative that only perfect women are raped, we risk sacrificing justice not only for this woman, but for victims of sexual assault everywhere. After all, nobody's perfect.

- Jaclyn Friedman

topic: Country, Mean, Sacrifice, Commentators, Criminal Justice System

The fate of millions of people—indeed the future of the black community itself—may depend on the willingness of those who care about racial justice to re-examine their basic assumptions about the role of the criminal justice system in our society.

- Michelle Alexander

source: Michelle Alexander (2013). “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness”, p.16, The New Press

topic: Fate, Justice, People, Jim Crow, Racial Justice

One out of three black men are in the criminal justice system in some form. Their despair is beginning to resonate through the entire culture; that is why suburban children want rap music.

- Robert Bly

topic: Children, Rap, Men, Rap Music, Criminal Justice System

Over the last few years a lot of people have become aware of the inequities in the criminal justice system, right now, with our overall crime rate and incarceration rate both falling, we're at a moment when some good people in both parties, Republicans and Democrats and folks all across the country, are coming up with ideas to make the system work smarter and better.

- Barack Obama

topic: Country, Party, Fall, Crime Rates, Criminal Justice System

These are young people who made mistakes that aren't that different than the mistakes I made and the mistakes that a lot of you guys made, we have a tendency sometimes to almost take for granted or think it's normal that so many young people end up in our criminal justice system. It's not normal. ... What is normal is teenagers doing stupid things.

- Barack Obama

source: Barack Obama's remarks after visit at El Reno Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. July 16, 2015.

topic: Mistake, Teenager, Stupid, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

One might expect that the families of murder victims would be showered with sympathy and support, embraced by their communities. But in reality they are far more likely to feel isolated, fearful, and ashamed, overwhelmed by grief and guilt, angry at the criminal-justice system, and shunned by their old friends.

- Eric Schlosser

topic: Grief, Reality, Justice, Murder Victims, Criminal Justice

All we want is justice for John Crawford and everyone responsible for John Crawford's death should be held responsible, the criminal justice system refused to hold those accountable so the civil system must.

- Michael Wright

topic: Justice, Criminals, Want, Criminal Justice System, Justice System

My heart and passion has always been to reform the criminal justice system. I want to be a public servant, and I wanted to be a prosecutor because I felt it was the best way forward.

- Marilyn Mosby

topic: Passion, Heart, Way Forward, Prosecutor, Criminal Justice System

I don't think it's necessary to feel guilty. Because I know that I'm still doing the work that is going to help more sisters and brothers to challenge the whole criminal justice system, and I'm trying to use whatever knowledge I was able to acquire to continue to do the work in our communities that will move us forward.

- Angela Davis

source: Frontline Interview, www.pbs.org. 1997.

topic: Brother, Moving, Thinking, Criminal Justice System, Justice System

For too long, the victims of crime have been the forgotten persons of our criminal justice system.

- Ronald Reagan

source: Reagan, Ronald (1982). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Ronald Reagan, 1981”, p.340, Best Books on

topic: Justice, Long, Criminals, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

In order to ensure our criminal justice system is fair and equitable, my office is conducting an immediate assessment of every prosecution within the past 10 years where these officers were involved. This is a shameful incident that the public deserves to have addressed in a meaningful and expeditious manner.

- George Gascon

source: "San Francisco prosecutor to probe old cases over racist texts by police". www.reuters.com. March 17, 2015.

topic: Meaningful, Past, Order, Equitable, Criminal Justice System

There's no way you are going to get rid of the Second Amendment, there's no way you're going to get rid of the First Amendment, and people have to understand how important this is. But I think when they see more and more killings, we have to figure out, of course what we are going to do about it. And I don't think the criminal justice system has an answer.

- Chuck Todd

source: Source: www.nbcnews.com

topic: Thinking, People, Justice, Criminal Justice System, Justice System

The Indian criminal justice system was a market like garbage, Abdul now understood. Innocence and guilt could be bought and sold like a kilo of polyurethane bags.

- Katherine Boo

source: Katherine Boo (2012). “Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Slum”, p.94, Portobello Books

topic: Justice, Guilt, Garbage, Criminal Justice System

In the criminal justice system you see the worst people on their best behavior, unlike the civil system, where the best people behave at their worst.

- Edna Buchanan

topic: Law, People, Justice, Criminal Justice System, Justice System

States and counties routinely bear the costs associated with incarcerating undocumented criminal aliens once they enter the criminal justice system.

- Michael Dean Crapo

topic: Justice, Cost, Bears, Criminal Justice System

The key thing is to ensure that we give the criminal-justice system the tools it needs, so that women's rights are turned into reality. It is not enough to say domestic violence is a crime ?- in order for the laws to be successful, lawyers and courts must have the necessary means to prosecute it.

- Jon Kyl

topic: Mean, Successful, Reality, Key Things, Criminal Justice System

Given my experience, I believe there are three compelling reasons why the death penalty should be replaced. (1) The criminal justice system makes mistakes and the possibility of executing innocent people is both inherently wrong and morally reprehensible; (2) My personal experience and crime data show the death penalty does not reduce crime; and (3) The death penalty wastes precious resources that could be best used to fight crime and solve thousands of unsolved homicides languishing in filing cabinets in understaffed police departments across the state.

- George Gascon

topic: Mistake, Believe, Fighting, Filing Cabinet, Compelling Reason

Our criminal justice system has swallowed up too many people I love.

- Michael K. Williams

topic: Justice, People, Criminals, Mass Incarceration, Criminal Justice System

Specifically, the growing threat that sexual predators pose to our Nation's children and their families represents an area where our criminal justice system has failed the American people.

- Paul Gillmor

topic: Children, Justice, People, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

What really drives the battle against law enforcement and punishment is not a commitment to treatment, but the widely held view that, first, we are imprisoning too many people for merely possessing illegal drugs; second, drug and other criminal sentences are too long and harsh, and third, the criminal justice system is unjustly punishing young black men. These are among the great urban myths of our time.

- John P. Walters

source: "Bush's drugs boss is unfit for office, say civil rights groups" Duncan Campbell, www.theguardian.com. September 7, 2001.

topic: Commitment, Views, Law, Criminal Justice System, Illegal Drugs

For years I supported capital punishment, but I have come to believe that our criminal justice system is incapable of adequately distinguishing between the innocent and guilty. It is reprehensible and immoral to gamble with life and death.

- James Frey

topic: Believe, Years, Punishment, Criminal Justice System

Capital punishment, like the rest of the criminal justice system, is a government program, so skepticism is in order.

- George Will

topic: Government, Order, Punishment, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

The nature of the criminal justice system has changed. It is no longer primarily concerned with the prevention and punishment of crime, but rather with the management and control of the dispossessed.

- Michelle Alexander

source: Michelle Alexander (2013). “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness”, p.188, The New Press

topic: Punishment, Justice, Prevention, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System

After reading The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander's stunning work of scholarship, one gains the terrible realization that, for people of color, the American criminal justice system resembles the Soviet Union's gulag—the latter punished ideas, the former punishes a condition.

- David Levering Lewis

topic: Jim Crow, Stunning, Criminal Justice System, Gulags

The first thing we should be concerned about the BLM movement should be the issues that the Black Lives Matter movement is bringing forward. There's no fundamental platform being brought by activists in Oakland, Baltimore, or New Jersey. The main issues that you see, the commonality between activists all around the country, are trying to deal with the challenges in the criminal justice system, something that is very much central to my work. So my hope is that people stay focused on the urgency to create justice here at home.

- Cory Booker

source: "Jewish Insider's Daily Kickoff". Jewish Insider Interview, www.haaretz.com. August 30, 2016.

topic: Country, Home, Oakland, Criminal Justice System, Black Lives

Against the tyranny of forgetting, educators, young people, social activists, public intellectuals, workers and others can work to make visible and oppose the long legacy and current reality of state violence and the rise of the punishing state. Such a struggle suggests not only reclaiming, for instance, education as a public good but also reforming the criminal justice system and removing the police from schools.

- Henry Giroux

source: Source: www.truth-out.org

topic: Struggle, School, Reality, Criminal Justice System, Long Legs

Young black men are not only being arrested and channeled into the criminal justice system in record numbers, they are also being targeted by the police, harassed by security forces, and in some instances killed because they are black and assumed to be dangerous.

- Henry Giroux

source: Source: www.truth-out.org

topic: Men, Numbers, Justice, Criminal Justice System, Security Forces

One in three young African American men is currently under the control of the criminal justice system in prison, in jail, on probation, or on parole - yet mass incarceration tends to be categorized as a criminal justice issue as opposed to a racial justice or civil rights issue (or crisis).

- Michelle Alexander

source: Source: www.truth-out.org

topic: Men, Rights, Jail, Probation, Racial Justice