I find that people want aggressive policing if they as a community feel they are part of it. They don't want aggressive policing if they feel it's being imposed upon them and they are a target.
Almost one in three Americans has had some contact with the criminal justice system. When you reach that saturation point, people begin to understand, in a very visceral way, the difficulties of reentry.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the pervasive nature of the criminal justice system in American life and its impact on societal understanding of reentry challenges.
Loretta Lynch emphasizes that a significant portion of the American population has interacted with the criminal justice system, leading to a broader awareness of the complexities those individuals face when reintegrating into society. As these interactions increase, society starts to recognize the systemic barriers and personal hardships faced by those trying to rebuild their lives after incarceration. This understanding is crucial in fostering empathy and driving reforms for a more just system.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a community meeting discussing criminal justice reform, this quote can illustrate the importance of awareness regarding reentry challenges.
More from Loretta Lynch
All quotes βWhat we must not do - what we must never do - is turn on our neighbors, our family members, our fellow Americans, for something they cannot control, and deny what makes them human.
Often, we do not know where our choices will take us. This is why the best choices are often made based not on what they can bring to us, but what they will allow us to bring to others.
What I have realized is I cannot guarantee the absence of discrimination or hatred or prejudice, but I can guarantee the presence of justice.
The power to arrest - to deprive a citizen of liberty - must be used fairly, responsibly, and without bias.
Whether it is tribalism, racism, xenophobia, or anti-Muslim backlash we're talking about, we spend so much time and energy fighting ways to divide ourselves from others.
Similar quotes
We must put an end to the corruption and systemic racism in our justice system, and that starts by electing progressive district attorneys who will fight for real justice across the country.
The laws of changeless justice bind oppressor and oppressed; and, close as sin and suffering joined we march to fate abreast.
Without justice, the most heinous crimes go unpunished; victims are unable to obtain redress, and peace remains an elusive goal, since impunity generates more hatred, leading to acts of revenge and more suffering.
It is not a charity but a right, not bounty but justice, that I am pleading for. The present state of civilization is as odious as it is unjust. It is absolutely the opposite of what it should be, and it is necessary that a revolution should be made in it. The contrast of affluence and wretchedness continually meeting and offending the eye, is like dead and living bodies chained together
Mass incarceration and its never-ending human toll will be with us until we come to see that no crime justifies permanent civic death.
I was born realizing the flaws in the criminal justice system.