In his inaugural address, President Joe Biden pledged to combat the sting of systemic racism, boldly promising that the “dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer.” He took his first steps toward making good on that promise by signing a slew of executive orders focused on equity — including directing the U.S. Department of Justice to improve prison conditions.
But Biden brings to this mission a checkered history with race and criminal justice. As a senator, he sponsored the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, helping to further fuel an era of mass incarceration that disproportionately impacted the lives of black families across the country. I understand, first-hand, just how cruel that system can be. Two years after the 1994 Crime Bill was signed, I was sentenced to prison for life, with little hope for parole. I was 17.
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