Here’s a thoughtful essay by D.J. Tice with the StarTribune. He writes about how the political focus on the criminal justice system has changed: from fear of “superpredators” to systemic racism in criminal justice in the U.S. http://www.startribune.com/politicians-who-raised-alarm-over-superpredators-now-decry-systematic-racism/369492942/
He points out that all the politicians in the 1980s warned of criminal gangs taking over, out-of-control crime, and even something unseen before in the history of America: the superpredator. A criminal (usually young and male) who was so devoid of conscience that he would attack and kill without a thought.
In order to protect us from this menace, the same politicians started to “get tough on crime.” Which meant, more intensive policing, more arrests, more convictions, and most critical, longer prison sentences.
Today, we have inherited the huge prison population and now politicians are warning about the systemic racism in criminal justice because most of the inmates are people of color.
I remember working as criminal trial lawyer in the 1980s.
We could talk for days about these issues, but the essay will give you a good over-view of the arguments you’re hearing today.
