Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) has introduced the Justice Integrity Act, a bill to examine racial disparities in the criminal justice system. I am very interested in this effort to mandate the collection of data and develop remedies in ten pilot states to address the over-representation of people of color, primarily African American and Latino, in the criminal justice system. For years, the federal government has taken the lead in working with states to address the racial disparities issue in the juvenile justice system. This process, while rewarding, has been difficult to implement, even with the capable support of leading technical assistance providers on the issue. That’s because there are many factors that contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system, and it takes the mobilization of many stakeholders–from the affected person or community to the juvenile and criminal justice systems–to address it.

This bill seeks to “increase public confidence in the justice system and address any
unwarranted racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal process.” Of course, as a critical human and civil rights issue, the staggering rate at which African American and Latino men, women, and children are involved in the justice system is about much more than just increasing public confidence in the process. This is about developing systems of accountability that support public safety by adhering to research-informed reform and intervention strategies that are both culturally-competent and gender-responsive. This is an opportunity to raise not only awareness about this important issue, but also to improve the discourse on race, crime, and justice among policymakers, practitioners, and the public.

Encourage your senator to support or co-sponsor S. 3245, the Justice Integrity Act. For a complete guideline regarding how you can voice your support of this effort, visit this NAACP link. Instructions, a sample letter, and talking points are included.

A link to the full text of the bill is available through The Sentencing Project.
Click here to access Sen. Biden’s press release.

Support this initiative. It is a good start.

Copyright 2008 Monique W. Morris

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