Jan 17 Watch 16:12 The first black president faced great expectations. What will be Obama's legacy on race? By PBS News Hour What did the election of America’s first black president mean for the United States? And how did President Obama’s policies and rhetoric advance issues important to the black community? Rael Nelson James of the Bridgespan Group, James Peterson of Lehigh… Continue watching
Jan 10 Watch 14:26 How Obama left his mark on the criminal justice system By PBS News Hour President Obama has commuted the sentences of more federal prisoners than any other president, and he’s on track to leave far fewer federal inmates in federal prison since the 1960s. Hari Sreenivasan offers a look through the life of a… Continue watching
Oct 19 Watch 8:43 Where the candidates stand on criminal justice and policing By PBS News Hour In our series on the issues shaping this election, we turn to the topic of crime and justice. Donald Trump has promised to curb crime through stronger “law and order” initiatives, while Hillary Clinton has addressed issues of racial bias… Continue watching
Jun 03 Watch 7:28 Why Chicago made scores of police brutality videos public By PBS News Hour Chicago’s Independent Police Review Board today released scores of video and audio recordings from police-involved shootings and some of them are pretty shocking. The release is part of sweeping police reforms instituted by Mayor Rahm Emanuel after the shooting death… Continue watching
May 13 Watch 7:46 Top civil rights lawyer says U.S. criminal justice reforms are falling short By PBS News Hour The Equal Justice Initiative’s Bryan Stevenson has become a leading voice for criminal justice reform, and blames the U.S.’s world-leading incarceration rate on deep-seated institutional racism that goes back to slavery. As some states move to increase probation and parole… Continue watching
May 05 Obama administration commutes 58 prison sentences, all nonviolent drug offenders By Eric Tucker, Associated Press The Obama administration on Thursday commuted the prison sentences of 58 federal convicts, part of a broader push to revamp the criminal justice system and ease punishments for nonviolent drug offenders. Continue reading
Apr 29 Proposed rule would delay questions about criminal history By Kathleen Hennessey and Kevin Freking, Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Obama administration wants federal agencies to stop asking early questions about some job applicants' criminal history, part of an effort to help ex-convicts enter the job market and decrease the number of those who end up back… Continue reading
Apr 28 Watch 7:25 An inside look at the Obama administration's criminal justice reforms By PBS News Hour Top senators revealed a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill on Thursday that includes changes to sentencing guidelines for some offenders and the creation of reentry programs for newly released prisoners. The move comes as the Obama administration is pushing its… Continue watching
Apr 08 Watch 9:29 Violent, overcrowded Alabama prisons hit a breaking point By Frank Carlson Alabama has the most overcrowded prison system in the nation: More than 24,000 inmates are housed in a system designed for half that number. The violence, overcrowding and actions taken by the federal government pushed state government to action, passing… Continue watching
Mar 30 Obama shortens prison sentences for 61 drug offenders By Josh Lederman, Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama commuted the prison sentences of 61 drug offenders on Wednesday including more than a third serving life sentences, working to give new energy to calls for overhauling the U.S. criminal justice system. Continue reading