President Obama Enacts Much-Needed Changes In Prison System


In the last year of his presidency, Barack Obama is working to expand his legacy to another field – our criminal justice system. Obama announced a ban on solitary confinement for juvenile offenders incarcerated in federal prisons.

Barack_Obama_addresses_joint_session_of_Congress_2009-02-24
Source: Wikimedia Commons image under public domain

 

He explained the rationale for his decision in an op-ed appearing in the Washington Post’s Tuesday edition.

Obama used the case of Kalief Browder to justify his decision. In 2010, Browder, a sixteen-year old teenager from the Bronx, was sent to Rikers Island to await trial. He spent almost two years there, becoming the victim of violent assaults from other inmates and the guards and confined in a solitary cell. After his release in 2013 – having never stood trial – he successfully went on to Bronx Community College, where he completed a semester, but the emotional distress of solitary confinement continued to haunt him. On Saturday, Obama writes, Browder committed suicide. He was 22 years old.

Obama listed the scientifically well-documented psychological harm that is caused by solitary confinement.

“The United States is a nation of second chances, but all too often, the destructive impact of detention in isolation undercuts the second chance…How can we subject prisoners to unnecessary solitary confinement, knowing its effects, and then expect them to return to our communities as whole people? It doesn’t make us safer. It’s an affront to our common humanity.”

He also boasted the decrease in overall crime rates under his administration. Obama’s changes follow recommendations the Justice Department made after reviewing solitary confinement practices; solitary will be banned for juvenile inmates and as a disciplinary measure for minor infractions. Treatment for the mentally ill will be expanded and the amount of time inmates can spend outside their cells will be increased. Some 10,000 federal prisoners will benefit from these changes.


To support his argument, Obama listed examples of states who have limited solitary confinement and whose reforms have led to a reduction of attacks on correctional staff. He also linked his latest steps to the need for broader reform of the criminal justice system. Obama’s strong case for the changes ends with powerful words:

“In America, we believe in redemption…We believe that when people make mistakes, they deserve the opportunity to remake their lives. And if we can give them the hope of a better future, and a way to get back on their feet, then we will leave our children with a country that is safer, stronger and worthy of our highest ideals.”

David Zuther is a high school student currently living in Utah. He is interested in current affairs and believes in social justice, civil liberties and human rights. He is passionate about photography, debating and reading. Follow him on twitter for political news and commentary.