Politics and Current
A year after Biden declared April “Second Chance Month,” have his criminal justice reform efforts lived up to the expectations of black voters?

Before the 2020 presidential election, then-candidate Joe Biden campaigned on “strengthening and reforming” the criminal justice system. Perhaps the most publicized step he has taken to this point was his proclamation last year declaring April 2023 Second Chance Month, an attempt to provide a second probability for formerly incarcerated people.
“I believe in redemption, but with the hundreds of thousands of Americans released each year from state and federal prisons, or the nearly 80 million people with arrest or conviction records, that is not always easy to achieve.” President Biden’s proclamation was read.
“Three-quarters of formerly incarcerated people remain unemployed one year after release, and unemployment is a leading predictor of recidivism,” the statement also said. “We don’t give people a real second chance.”

Broad reform is very crucial in the criminal justice system to address racial disparities. Data show African Americans are incarcerated at five times the rate of white Americans. It is subsequently clear why, during the 2020 election season, Black voters expected elected officials to take lively steps to reform the criminal justice system and support decarceration.
In the first two years of Biden’s presidency, his criminal justice reform (and crime prevention) efforts have included: investing in community-led initiatives to reduce gun violence, appointing more Black and Latinx people as court judges federal and the appointment of 37 American lawyers, of whom 20 were black.
Many Black activists and other people who voted for Biden wanted to see more done to fulfill his campaign guarantees, so his administration’s support for last year’s Second Chance Month left many optimistic.
Now that Second Chance Month 2024 is upon us, let’s have a look back at what Biden’s initiative included and what impact it has – or hasn’t had – over the past year.
What is Second Chance Month and what has the Biden administration done?
While the White House has paid more attention to Second Chance Month in 2023, it is a movement that began with a national movement in 2017 led by the faith-based nonprofit Prison Fellowship (the initiative was recognized by the U.S. Senate this year). It goals to “raise awareness, break down barriers and unlock a second chance for the 1 in 3 people with a criminal record in America.”
Following the Biden administration’s declaration of Second Chance Month, a multi-year strategic plan for alternatives, rehabilitation and re-entry was released in late April. The plan is to “strengthen public safety by reducing unnecessary interactions between the criminal justice system so police officers can focus on fighting crime; supporting social rehabilitation while serving a prison sentence; and facilitating successful re-entry.” – we read in the statement.
Biden also participated in commuting the sentences of 31 Americans serving sentences for nonviolent drug crimes.
What has been the mood since then?
While last April’s efforts were hailed as a step in the right direction, the Biden administration has taken no motion toward making campaign guarantees for a progressive criminal justice system a reality, Vincent M. Southerland, faculty director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU School of Law, assured Atlanta Black Star.
Southerland noted that while the Biden administration has invested in mental health and community violence interventions, this has been achieved by allocating more resources to policing.
“History clearly shows that investments in law enforcement exacerbate inequities in the criminal justice system,” Southerland said. “This allows more people to have contact with police officers. This in turn leads to an increase in the number of people arrested, prosecuted, convicted, sentenced and imprisoned.”
A 2015 report from the nonprofit The Sentencing Project: “Black Lives Matter: Eliminating Racial Inequities in the Criminal Justice System”, outlines 4 key features of the criminal justice system that exacerbate underlying inequalities. One particularly found that criminal justice policies exacerbate socioeconomic inequalities by imposing additional consequences on individuals with criminal records and by diverting public spending.
Nearly a decade – and two presidencies later – the same problems with America’s criminal justice system remain.
“The slow pace is not surprising,” William J. Drummond, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley’s journalism school and writer of “Prison Truth: The Story of the San Quentin News,” told Atlanta Black Star. “Any policy changes have to go through a huge bureaucracy. Racial bias permeates the entire criminal justice system, at all levels. “Prison is a by-product of the inequalities that exist in society.”
Non-profit organization Prison Policy Initiativewho conducts research documenting the harms of mass criminalization, racial discrimination in housing, sentencing and policing, often explains why the data shows stark disparities in African American involvement in the justice system.
“Race and racial inequality are features, not bugs, of the criminal system,” Southerland added. “Executive action could reduce the influence of race on the application of criminal law. However, the diverse ways in which the criminal justice system works in practice mean that no single actor or arm of government can eliminate the racial harms caused by the system.
“Unfortunately, due in part to these dynamics, the Biden administration’s policies have failed to have an undue impact on the deep racial disparities that plague the criminal system.”
In fact, the Department of Justice under Biden has continued harmful past practices, including prosecuting the death penalty, contrary to then-candidate Biden’s campaign promise to end the federal death penalty.
Southerland added that if there’s one vibrant spot, it’s Attorney General Merrick Garland issuing a memorandum which, amongst other things, included guidelines for more proportionate sentencing and encouraged federal prosecutors to seek alternatives to imprisonment.
“These are steps in the right direction. Time will tell how rigorously these policy directives will be implemented.”
Election year politics
In February 2024, the White House stated that the United States was safer than before due to historic declines in crime. He attributed this to the three-part approach in his statement: “funding an effective and accountable police force; investing in intervention and prevention strategies; and keeping particularly dangerous weapons off our streets and out of dangerous hands.”
According to recent media reports, polls show former President Donald Trump gaining popularity amongst black voters on this year’s presidential election. Trump claimed the support was because Black people “embraced” his photo, knowing what it’s like to have criminal cases against them, something he himself experiences.
What more than likely represents the interests of Black voters when it comes to criminal justice reform this election season is printed in two recent polls: About 75 percent of Black voters imagine that mass incarceration causes many of the problems that lead to unsafe communities ; in addition they want federal and state governments to take motion on criminal justice reforms.
Politics and Current
Donald Trump under fire after he was caught on Hot Mic

In some ways, the White House tried to manage the narrative on Wednesday.
After taking on the rotation of reporters allocated to cover the day by day schedule of the president – work previously carried out by Association of White House Corresponders -President Donald Trump went a step further, asking one in every of the reporters of the brand new within the press pool, together “Fox and Friends” by Lawrence Jones to say to the viewers: “We did a great job, please. Ok? “
“Say it was unbelievable,” said the president after casting the primary meeting of the office of the second term on February 26. The White House was already cut off, however the Audio Associated Press channel remained and captured the moment of a hot microphone.

Jones, who has already lobbyed a number of inquiries to Softball for the president (including “Who is your favorite member of the office?”) I didn’t disappoint.
“The president chose members of the office who can really present their ideas and their ideas. He does not have to worry that they will leave and blow up everything-they are on the same side, “said the co-host Steve Doocy.
“I also think it’s great,” Jones replied. “They are guys who normally – and girls – are used to communicate their ideas. They divide the president’s vision and communicate it in such a concise way. I don’t think we’ve ever seen it in administration. “
“It is people who show how uncertain this president is,” said one in every of the critics who responded to a viral report on the moment of Caugh-on-Camera. “He knows that most of them we watched, right?” Someone said.
In fact, the meeting was dominated by Elon Muskwho opened with a weak joke, saying: “Well, I should simply call myself modest technical support,” and from there he initiated. Photos showed that the president was napping through the presentation of Musk.
Referring to his work as “necessary”, Musk presented one other federal agency within the Doge chopping block. “We spend lots within the defense department, but we spend that over a trillion dollars for interest. If this happens, the country goes, it is going to turn into de facto bankrupt – he said.
Jones was not the one Trump friendly correspondent who joined the press pool on Thursday.
The correspondent of Brian Glenn’s chief house from Real America, perhaps essentially the most absorbing the Networks Pro-Trump network, and the correspondent of the White House Newsmax, James Rosen, were a part of Gaggle, replacing older media, including the Associated Press, which was blocked within the events of the White House for refusing to call the Mexican bay with Mexico with Mexico with Mexico with Mexico with Mexican America after the president announced a change performed by the manager.
Meanwhile, the Association of White House correspondents announced that it might now not coordinate the common range of the White House until the dispute over unlimited access to the media is sustained. Also on Wednesday, the president announced He will sue reporters who use the common practice of anonymous quotes in unfavorable stories or books about it. Such quotes are sometimes used to cause greater honesty from the source, which otherwise might be afraid to talk.
What does all this mean for residents? Less difficult questions and a more favorable relationship for the president, whose crossing of the management has now not checked by Congress.
This explains why this clip He was on the web on Thursday with “The Simpsons”. When the owner of the nuclear plant, Montgomery Burns, decides to use for the governor, his campaign suggests dinner with the Simpsons family to assist the energy director involved with voters from the working class. Lisa Simpson is forced to ask This is an issue From a guest dinner of a guest:
“Mr. Burns, your campaign seems to have a fugitive momentum. Why are you so popular?”
Get used to it.
(Tagstotransate) Donald Trump
Featured
USAID cuts are already hitting countries around the world. Here are 20 projects that have been closed

Countries around the world already feel the influence of Trump’s administration decision to eliminate over 90% of foreign assistance contracts and reduce the financing of around $ 60 billion. A number of hours after the announcement at the starting of this week, The programs have been closed, Leaving tens of millions of individuals without access to life -saving care.
About 10,000 contracts with the American International Development Agency were accomplished on Wednesday, in letters sent to non -governmental organizations around the world.
Letters said that the programs were rejected “for the convenience and interests of the US government”, based on an individual with knowledge of the content that they spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk publicly on this subject.
Many programs are present in the fragile countries that are highly depending on American help with a purpose to support healthcare systems, nutrition programs and stop hunger.
Here, several key projects around the world, which AP confirmed, have been closed:
1: In Congo, the motion of a bunch of help against hunger will stop to treat tens of hundreds of malnourished children from May, which, based on a charity, will make children put children in “deadly danger”.
2: According to the Committee on Cadastral Risk Management in Ethiopia in Ethiopia, help stopped for over 1 million people. The Ministry of Health was also forced to terminate the contract of 5,000 employees throughout the country, focused on stopping HIV and malaria, vaccination and assist in a difficult situation in coping with the trauma of war.
3: In Senegal, the largest malaria project was closed. According to a USAID worker, who was not authorized to talk over with the media. Mother and youngsters’s health and nutrition services were also closed. They provided look after tens of hundreds of pregnant women and treatment that would prevent acute malnutrition.
4: In South Sudan, the International Emergency Committee closed a project that provides access to prime quality health and nutrition services over 115,000 people.
5: The program closed by the Norwegian refugee council in Colombia left 50,000 people without saving their lives, including in the northeast, where the growing violence caused a humanitarian crisis once a generation. This included food, shelter, clean water and other basic items for people displaced in the region.
6: According to the International Rescue Committee, 90 community cuisines closed in the capital in the torn war of Sudan, leaving greater than half 1,000,000 people without consistent access to food.
7: According to Bangladesh, 600,000 women and youngsters will lose access to mother’s critical health care, protection against violence, reproductive health services and other life -saving care, in accordance with the United Nations Fund.
8. In small critical assistance, equivalent to access to water, food and health services for over 270,000 people, based on a help group, which didn’t wish to be listed for fear of repression.
9. Over 400,000 people in North Burkina Faso lost access to services equivalent to water. According to the help group, which didn’t want to get replaced for fear of a repressiveist.
10. In Somalia, 50 health centers serving over 19,000 people were closed per thirty days because health care employees are not paid, based on the American help group.
11. In Ukraine, based on money, humanitarian programs, which last yr reached 1 million people, were suspended, based on the spokesman for the Secretary General of the UN.
12. Hundreds of mobile health teams and other services were suspended in Afghanistan, they concerned 9 million people, based on the UN spokesperson.
13. According to the UN Secretary General in Syria in Syria, for about 2.5 million people in the northeast of the country ceased to supply services. Also in the north, a dozen or so health clinics, including the primary hospital recommending this area, closed, said doctors without borderlines.
14. In Kenya, over 600,000 people living in drought -harassed areas and chronic sharp malnutrition will lose their access to the rescue lifetime of food and nutrition, based on Mercy Corps.

15. At Haiti, 13,000 people lost access to dietary support, in accordance with actions against hunger.
16. In Thailand, hospitals help around 100,000 Refugees from Myanmar According to the Border Consortium of the Help Group, closed.
17. According to the International Emergency Committee in Nigeria, 25,000 extremely malnourished children will stop to receive food assistance until April.
18. A program to enhance access to warning systems for disabled people for disabled people was detained in the Philippines.
19. In Vietnam, a program helping disabled people through training carers and providing medical care at home stopped, in accordance with humanity and integration.
20. In Yemen, 220,000 resettled people will lose access to mother’s critical health care, protection against violence, treatment of rape and other life -saving care, in accordance with the United Nations Fund.
———————–
The Associated Press Writers Sylvie Corbet got here in Paris, France, Robert Badendieck in Istanbul, Turkey, Evelyn Musambi in Nairobi, Kenya, Thalia Beata in New York and Edith Lederer in the United births contributed to this report.

(tagstransate) @AP
Politics and Current
Speaker of the New York Council Adrienne Adams is considering Burmoral Run

The speaker of the City Council in New York Adrienne Adams submitted documents to the financial council of the New York campaign to be able to create a campaign committee in the upcoming mayor’s race.
“We currently have chaos and we have reduced confidence in the other side of the town hall,” Adams said in an interview with Gothamist. “That is why I am seriously considering the campaign to become the first woman of the mayor of New York.”
In addition to becoming the first woman chosen as the mayor, Adams could be the first black woman and the first speaker of the city council who took the highest elected place in New York.
confirmed that Adams would do it Wait until the next week to make the final decision to launch. It is expected to offer the address of the “city state” on March 4.
“I wasn’t looking for it; It was not in my plans – she said, adding, “I believe someone have to be the soul of the city.”
A possible Adams offer for the mayor comes amongst the precipitation with the current mayor, Eric Adams. Adams, who is not related to the mayor, recently joined other city leaders, asking him to subside because of the corruption scandal.
If he joins the race, Adams will join the crowded, qualified field. Comptroller City Brad Lander and his predecessor Scott Stringer, Queens Assemblymber Zohran Mamdani, senator of the state Queens Jessica Ramos and senator of State Brooklyn Zellor Myrie.
There were also rumors that the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was considering returning to politics and applying for the mayor.
A recent survey with the Honan Strategy Group showed that Cuomo has a most important role in a democratic basic race of 38%. Mamdani is second at 12%, and the mayor of Adams is in third place with 10%. The Adams speaker received only 2% support from survey respondents.
(Tagstranslate) Mayoral Race (T) Adrienne Adams (T) New York City (T) Eric Adams
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