Holder Talks About Getting "Smart" On Crime

On Monday, United States Attorney General Eric Holder addressed the American Bar Association in Chicago. In his speech not only did he call for getting tough on crime, but he called for getting "smart" on crime as well. He said that jail is not the only answer to law enforcement. Roughly 1 in every 100 American adults is behind bars. He noted that this is "the highest incarceration rate in the world." He noted this rate continues to rise and that the rate of incarceration cannot be sustained from an economic standpoint. He called for programs that keep tabs on inmates after they are released and drug treatment programs as an alternative to jail for first time offenders. He also called for programs to study how to help children at risk of becoming criminals and called for the lack of funding for public defenders. Once again he addressed the sentencing disparities between powder and crack cocaine. He ended his speech by stating that his goal is to move towards a system of fairness and effectiveness.

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