Both Sides of the Bars Episode 416: Repairing Today's Ineffective Justice System Strategies

American prisons house more than 1.5 million individuals, an increase of over 390% since 1978. This growth persisted even in the face of an overarching decline in crime rates since the 1990s and the longest terms of incarceration since we began to collect accurate data. Over 600,000 men and women are released from Federal and state prisons each year. Upon release, these individuals face many practical and social challenges to rejoin their communities with many of them frustrated by barriers to opportunity due to a lack of education and practical skills. On this episode, host Andre Ward talks about this issue with Svante Myrick, Mayor of the city of Ithaca, New York, to hear his thoughts on criminal justice/legal reform and what can be done to repair the system.