What if we strove for compassion, for mercy, for forgiveness? And what if we did this for everybody, including people who have harmed others? James Forman, Jr. Read Quote
African-Americans have always viewed the protection of black lives as a civil rights issue, whether the threat comes from police officers or street criminals. Far from ignoring the issue of crime by blacks against other blacks, African-American officials and their constituents have been consumed by it. James Forman, Jr. Read Quote
I had gone to law school thinking that I would do something in the service of black people. James Forman, Jr. Read Quote
I find it very frustrating how much passing the buck there is in the criminal justice system when it comes to taking responsibility for outcomes. James Forman, Jr. Read Quote
How come we never use prison, the failure of prison, as a reason not to give more prison? There’s never a moment where we say, ‘OK, well, prison hasn’t worked, so we’re not going to try that again.’ James Forman, Jr. Read Quote
In terms of addressing crime issues in the black community, the dominant political class has historically refused to endorse the full slate of reforms along lines of education, economic security, housing, etc, necessary to address the root causes. James Forman, Jr. Read Quote
Most people that take jobs as police officers are taking them because they’re good jobs. Many who go into these jobs are doing it because it’s good work. James Forman, Jr. Read Quote
A black man of my generation born in the late 1960s is more than twice as likely to go to prison in his lifetime then a black man of my father’s generation. I was born after the Voting Rights Act, after the Civil Rights Act, after the Fair Housing Act. James Forman, Jr. Read Quote
We rarely have good alternatives to offer to prison – that’s our default. James Forman, Jr. Read Quote
In court, judges tell people that their conviction carries a sentence of years, or probation. The truth is far more terrible. People convicted of crimes often become social outcasts for life, finding it difficult or impossible to rent an apartment, get a job, adopt children, access public benefits, serve on juries, or vote. James Forman, Jr. Read Quote