President Obama touted his trip to Chicago last week, and previewed an upcoming trip to Newark, N.J., Saturday as part of an ongoing tour of the nation to spur a strong national dialogue about criminal justice reform.
“I believe we can disrupt the pipeline from underfunded schools to overcrowded jails,” Obama said. “That’s why over the course of this year, I’ve been talking to folks around the country about reforming our criminal justice system to make it smarter, fairer, and more effective.”
“Monday, I’ll travel to Newark, New Jersey, to highlight efforts to help Americans who’ve paid their debt to society reintegrate back into their communities,” Obama said.
Obama made an effort to note his approach is not a blame “law-enforcement-first” tact.
“Last week, I traveled to Chicago to thank police chiefs from across the country for all that their officers do to protect Americans,” he said, referring to a speech he made last week to International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Obama also noted a February trip to Camden, N.J., per-capita the poorest city in the United States.
“I met with police officers and young people in Camden, New Jersey, where they’re using community policing and data to drive down crime,” Obama said. “It’s not about politics. It’s about whether we as a nation live up to our founding ideal of liberty and justice for all.”
The president also focused on criminal justice reform in his weekly address two weeks ago.
