Rep. Tlaib Pressed on Her Support for Abolishing Federal Prisons: ‘The Act that You Endorsed Actually Says Release Everyone’

SWAN In 2020 you ░░░░░░░░ the BREATHE Act which ░░░░░░░░ a series of proposals ░░░░░░░░ transform America s criminal ░░░░░░░░ system and create quote ░░░░░░░░ roadmap for prison abolition ░░░░░░░░ BREATHE Act proposes emptying ░░░░░░░░ detention facilities within 10 ░░░░░░░░ To what extent have ░░░░░░░░ wrestled with any potential ░░░░░░░░ of releasing into society ░░░░░░░░ single person who s ░░░░░░░░ in a federal prison ░░░░░░░░ Yeah Again I think ░░░░░░░░ everyone s like oh ░░░░░░░░ God we re going ░░░░░░░░ just release everybody That ░░░░░░░░ not SWAN That s ░░░░░░░░ the that says Tlaib ░░░░░░░░ but did you see ░░░░░░░░ many people are mentally ░░░░░░░░ that are in prison ░░░░░░░░ now SWAN No I ░░░░░░░░ But the act that ░░░░░░░░ endorsed actually says release ░░░░░░░░ Tlaib But in 10 ░░░░░░░░ But think about it ░░░░░░░░ are releasing SWAN But ░░░░░░░░ are like human traffickers ░░░░░░░░ Oh I know SWAN ░░░░░░░░ sex So but you ░░░░░░░░ saying do you mean ░░░░░░░░ you don t actually ░░░░░░░░ that Tlaib No SWAN ░░░░░░░░ you used to endorse ░░░░░░░░ bill Tlaib No I ░░░░░░░░ the BREATHE Act and ░░░░░░░░ at federal the policies ░░░░░░░░ how we incarcerate Absolutely ░░░░░░░░ But it says in ░░░░░░░░ Tlaib But you cannot ░░░░░░░░ cannot You cannot just ░░░░░░░░ say Oh look she ░░░░░░░░ That s not what ░░░░░░░░ m SWAN But that ░░░░░░░░ like in plain text ░░░░░░░░ But what I m ░░░░░░░░ is look at who ░░░░░░░░ in prison now No ░░░░░░░░ at the folks that ░░░░░░░░ mentally ill that have ░░░░░░░░ abuse problems SWAN But ░░░░░░░░ m not disagreeing with ░░░░░░░░ that there are people ░░░░░░░░ shouldn t be in ░░░░░░░░ Tlaib Yeah but then ░░░░░░░░ aren t you asking ░░░░░░░░ about them You re ░░░░░░░░ me about the crimi ░░░░░░░░ traffickers and others that ░░░░░░░░ stay should be SWAN ░░░░░░░░ I m trying to ░░░░░░░░ Tlaib able to be ░░░░░░░░ accountable SWAN What I ░░░░░░░░ trying to understand is ░░░░░░░░ proposal is so sweeping ░░░░░░░░ does It does release ░░░░░░░░ and what I m ░░░░░░░░ to say to you ░░░░░░░░ Tlaib Within 10 years ░░░░░░░░ obviously there s a ░░░░░░░░ of looking at how ░░░░░░░░ we get away from ░░░░░░░░ incarceration SWAN Sure Tlaib ░░░░░░░░ move towards care first ░░░░░░░░ But what I m ░░░░░░░░ to understand because it ░░░░░░░░ such a sweeping concrete ░░░░░░░░ do you believe that ░░░░░░░░ are still categories of ░░░░░░░░ who should be behind ░░░░░░░░ Tlaib There are absolutely ░░░░░░░░ that I don t ░░░░░░░░ you know I don ░░░░░░░░ know because right now ░░░░░░░░ way the prison system ░░░░░░░░ supposed to be like ░░░░░░░░ you know it s ░░░░░░░░ to be rehabilitation Right ░░░░░░░░ Right Tlaib No really ░░░░░░░░ s how they SWAN ░░░░░░░░ understand Tlaib Yeah I ░░░░░░░░ t think there s ░░░░░░░░ rehabilitation happening right now ░░░░░░░░ those that might actually ░░░░░░░░ you know and again ░░░░░░░░ majority there s so ░░░░░░░░ that have mental health ░░░░░░░░ other struggling issues SWAN ░░░░░░░░ you think all people ░░░░░░░░ be rehabilitated Tlaib I ░░░░░░░░ t think so I ░░░░░░░░ been very clear about ░░░░░░░░ And I only tell ░░░░░░░░ that because you know ░░░░░░░░ somebody that has worked ░░░░░░░░ the legal field and ░░░░░░░░ I don t even ░░░░░░░░ if our society would ░░░░░░░░ know how to be ░░░░░░░░ to rehabilitate every single ░░░░░░░░ that you know wants ░░░░░░░░ harm people right Or ░░░░░░░░ I can tell you ░░░░░░░░ what s struggling for ░░░░░░░░ is seeing that the ░░░░░░░░ about so many people ░░░░░░░░ at a very young ░░░░░░░░ that are in there ░░░░░░░░ probably would not have ░░░░░░░░ in there but for ░░░░░░░░ fact that they were ░░░░░░░░ with mental illness or ░░░░░░░░ issues within their family ░░░░░░░░ that I think you ░░░░░░░░ they would have been ░░░░░░░░ if we came with ░░░░░░░░ first with it rather ░░░░░░░░ criminalization And that s ░░░░░░░░ true And I and ░░░░░░░░ s not just me ░░░░░░░░ it It is experts ░░░░░░░░ others out there saying ░░░░░░░░ is actually you know ░░░░░░░░ keeping us safe because ░░░░░░░░ are getting released and ░░░░░░░░ didn t get the ░░░░░░░░ they needed SWAN But ░░░░░░░░ your vision there is ░░░░░░░░ whatever proportion they are ░░░░░░░░ small proportion who do ░░░░░░░░ to be behind bars ░░░░░░░░ Yeah Again I would ░░░░░░░░ to look at every ░░░░░░░░ individually and figure that ░░░░░░░░ out I can t ░░░░░░░░ say that I mean ░░░░░░░░ But you do you ░░░░░░░░ that prison should still ░░░░░░░░ in some form Tlaib ░░░░░░░░ just want but I ░░░░░░░░ the American people to ░░░░░░░░ They need to know ░░░░░░░░ Everyone in jail is ░░░░░░░░ the same Because we ░░░░░░░░ pick the worst of ░░░░░░░░ worst cases SWAN No ░░░░░░░░ I agree with you ░░░░░░░░ Yeah but we pick ░░░░░░░░ the worst of the ░░░░░░░░ cases and we just ░░░░░░░░ SWAN I agree Tlaib ░░░░░░░░ I mean I think ░░░░░░░░ s really dangerous because ░░░░░░░░ lot of my returning ░░░░░░░░ are in block clubs ░░░░░░░░ amazing things youth mentoring ░░░░░░░░ now I have one ░░░░░░░░ all he does is ░░░░░░░░ young people not to ░░░░░░░░ into gangs and talking ░░░░░░░░ like this is what ░░░░░░░░ to me in my ░░░░░░░░ There are some that ░░░░░░░░ know are going back ░░░░░░░░ school and one just ░░░░░░░░ a lawyer I mean ░░░░░░░░ know I just think ░░░░░░░░ to me is much ░░░░░░░░ inspiring than locking everybody ░░░░░░░░