Barack Obama has acquired the label as the first sitting president of the United States to have visited a federal prison last Thursday. This was his way of trying to push for his criminal justice reforms set to be promulgated before ending his term as president.
According the Economic Times of India Times, Barack Obama took the initiative and personally visited a medium-security prison, the El Reno Federal Correction Institution, for male offenders in the state of Oklahoma last Thursday. His visit is part of him overseeing his promise to impose a criminal justice reform before he is to end his term as the President of the United States.
His visit was accompanied by a presidential motorcade that passed through fences with multiple layers of razor wire as it paves ay to the sprawling prison complex. Upon arrival, he visited the cells of the facility and was astounded at how one 9x10 cell can actually contain three full grown men, saying that it is a cause for concern since the correctional facilities in the country are reportedly overcrowded.
Upon seeing the availability of space for these inmates and the limited spaces that they share with each other, Obama wished that Congress would be able to pass legislation and address his concerns about criminal justice. According to Telegraph, when he visited "Block B" of the correctional facility, he was able to converse with six inmates who were convicted of drug offenses. Upon doing so, he reiterated that there should be a cut of the number of people that should remain in prison by ending mandatory minimum sentences and the use of solitary confinement since it is expensive and unnecessary.
Furthermore, he was also able to determine that there should be particular consideration for 20-30 years of life sentence for non-violent crimes and reduce it for the benefit of giving leverages for young inmates to have access to support structures, second chances and other resources that would enable them to overcome their mistakes and not through prison time. He also stated that he realized these young people committed mistakes similar to what he had done in the past and that it would have been better if they were afforded these mentioned help rather than putting them into jail directly.
Do you think that President Barack Obama's move may convince Senate to pass legislation that would benefit the inmates? Do you think they deserve what Obama is offering them? Post your comments below.
