Holder Blames Police for Blacks’ Higher Incarceration Rates; ‘An Issue of Fairness’

“A recent study reported ░░░░░░░░ half of African American ░░░░░░░░ have been arrested at ░░░░░░░░ once by age 23 ░░░░░░░░ black men were 6 ░░░░░░░░ and Latino men were ░░░░░░░░ 5 times more likely ░░░░░░░░ be imprisoned than white ░░░░░░░░ in 2012 This over ░░░░░░░░ of young men of ░░░░░░░░ in our criminal justice ░░░░░░░░ is a problem we ░░░░░░░░ confront not only as ░░░░░░░░ issue of individual responsibility ░░░░░░░░ also as one of ░░░░░░░░ fairness and as an ░░░░░░░░ of effective law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ disparities contribute to tension ░░░░░░░░ our nation generally and ░░░░░░░░ communities of color specifically ░░░░░░░░ tend to breed resentment ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement that is ░░░░░░░░ to the goal of ░░░░░░░░ crime We know from ░░░░░░░░ and from experience that ░░░░░░░░ people are treated fairly ░░░░░░░░ police and other justice ░░░░░░░░ agencies they are more ░░░░░░░░ to accept decisions by ░░░░░░░░ authorities and obey the ░░░░░░░░ in the future even ░░░░░░░░ they are penalized by ░░░░░░░░ sanctions Last July following ░░░░░░░░ verdict in the case ░░░░░░░░ the shooting death of ░░░░░░░░ Martin President Obama spoke ░░░░░░░░ about the need to ░░░░░░░░ better understanding between law ░░░░░░░░ and young men of ░░░░░░░░ He specifically directed the ░░░░░░░░ Department to work closely ░░░░░░░░ state and local law ░░░░░░░░ agencies to develop training ░░░░░░░░ other innovative tools that ░░░░░░░░ help to reduce discord ░░░░░░░░ restore trust Well we ░░░░░░░░ heeding the President s ░░░░░░░░ This month the Justice ░░░░░░░░ is launching a new ░░░░░░░░ the National Center for ░░░░░░░░ Community Trust and Justice ░░░░░░░░ analyze and reduce the ░░░░░░░░ of racial bias within ░░░░░░░░ criminal justice system The ░░░░░░░░ will be funded through ░░░░░░░░ initial competitive grant award ░░░░░░░░ 4 75 million and ░░░░░░░░ jointly supported by the ░░░░░░░░ Department s Office of ░░░░░░░░ Programs the COPS Office ░░░░░░░░ Civil Rights Division the ░░░░░░░░ on Violence Against Women ░░░░░░░░ the Community Relations Service ░░░░░░░░ effort will encompass a ░░░░░░░░ range of areas in ░░░░░░░░ fairness and trust can ░░░░░░░░ into question from stops ░░░░░░░░ searches to wrongful convictions ░░░░░░░░ course to be successful ░░░░░░░░ reducing both the experience ░░░░░░░░ the perception of bias ░░░░░░░░ must have verifiable data ░░░░░░░░ the problem As a ░░░░░░░░ part of this initiative ░░░░░░░░ will work with grant ░░░░░░░░ and local law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ collect data about stops ░░░░░░░░ searches arrests and case ░░░░░░░░ in order to help ░░░░░░░░ the impact of possible ░░░░░░░░ We will conduct this ░░░░░░░░ while simultaneously implementing strategies ░░░░░░░░ five initial pilot sites ░░░░░░░░ the goal of reducing ░░░░░░░░ role of bias and ░░░░░░░░ confidence in the justice ░░░░░░░░ among young people of ░░░░░░░░ This work will likely ░░░░░░░░ anti gang and mentoring ░░░░░░░░ intended to empower young ░░░░░░░░ American and Latino males ░░░░░░░░ break the vicious cycle ░░░░░░░░ poverty incarceration and crime ░░░░░░░░ destroys too many promising ░░░░░░░░ each and every day ░░░░░░░░ partnerships with community organizations ░░░░░░░░ local agencies the Center ░░░░░░░░ build on the work ░░░░░░░░ the Department s Smart ░░░░░░░░ Crime initiative to help ░░░░░░░░ opportunity in neighborhoods that ░░░░░░░░ too often characterized by ░░░░░░░░ and distrust to reduce ░░░░░░░░ and discord and ultimately ░░░░░░░░ relegate the era of ░░░░░░░░ and suspicion to the ░░░░░░░░ Of course I realize ░░░░░░░░ progress will not come ░░░░░░░░ and the changes we ░░░░░░░░ will not take hold ░░░░░░░░ But the Justice Department ░░░░░░░░ firmly committed to the ░░░░░░░░ of opening doors to ░░░░░░░░ and trust that will ░░░░░░░░ lead to safer and ░░░░░░░░ communities The Department of ░░░░░░░░ is integrally involved in ░░░░░░░░ President s initiative My ░░░░░░░░ s Keeper a plan ░░░░░░░░ make sure that every ░░░░░░░░ man of color who ░░░░░░░░ willing to work hard ░░░░░░░░ play by the rules ░░░░░░░░ the chance to reach ░░░░░░░░ full potential By creating ░░░░░░░░ opportunities for young men ░░░░░░░░ color we can send ░░░░░░░░ message that our country ░░░░░░░░ stronger when all Americans ░░░░░░░░ doing well As our ░░░░░░░░ s Attorney General and ░░░░░░░░ a father of three ░░░░░░░░ am personally dedicated to ░░░░░░░░ everything possible to reduce ░░░░░░░░ to strengthen our communities ░░░░░░░░ to provide the support ░░░░░░░░ assistance that all of ░░░░░░░░ young people need and ░░░░░░░░ they deserve.”