PAUL BEGALU JOINS US ♪
>>> WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING
>>> WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING
JOE."
A LIVE PICTURE ON A WEDNESDAY
MORNING OF THE UNITED STATES
CAPITOL AT 8:34 IN THE MORNING.
KASIE HUNT, MIKE BARNICLE, EDDIE
GLAUD ALL BACK WITH US.
AND JOINING US AFORMER ATTORNEYS
GENERALS LORETTA LYNCH AND
ALBERTO GONZALES.
THEY WILL DEVELOP A ROAD MAP FOR
IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM REFORMS
TO BETTER BALANCE PUBLIC HEALTH
AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
WELCOME TO YOU BOTH.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
ATTORNEY GENERAL LYNCH, I’LL
BEGIN WITH YOU.
I LOOK DOWN THE LIST OF PEOPLE
ON THE PANEL AND IT’S JUDGES
LIKE YOURSELF, ATTORNEYS
GENERAL, BUT ALSO MAYORS AND
POLICE CHIEFS AND PUBLIC HEALTH
OFFICIALS.
SO, HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THIS
INITIATIVE?
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO GET AT
EXACTLY.
>> GOOD MORNING, WILLIE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING
US ON AND BRINGING A LIGHT TO
THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
WE’RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE
SYSTEMIC INEQUALITIES THAT ARE
COMING TO IT IS SURFACE IN OUR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
THIS PANDEMIC HAS HIT EVERY
SYSTEM OF OUR LIFE IN AN
INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT WAY.
FRANKLY, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM IS REALLY BUCKLING UNDER
THE STRAIN.
LONG-STANDING PROBLEMS ARE
COMING TO THE SURFACE.
THESE ARE PROBLEMS THAT ARE NOT
JUST LIMITED TO WHAT’S HAPPENING
IN COURT, IN JAIL.
THEY AFFECT THE WAY IN WHICH WE
THINK ABOUT CRIMINAL JUSTICE,
THE WAY IN WHICH WE POLICE, THE
WAY IN WHICH WE PROSECUTE, HOW
WE INCARCERATE PEOPLE.
AND BECAUSE THESE ISSUES AND
CONCERNS ARE LONG-STANDING AND
HAVE BEEN SIMMERING, THEY SPAN
NOT JUST ADMINISTRATIONS BUT
GENERATIONS.
AND SO WE’RE HOPING TO TAKE A
NONPARTISAN LOOK AT THESE ISSUES
AND BRING SOME GUIDANCE AND SOME
EXPERTISE, SOME STATISTICS AND
DATE
DATA TO PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH
THESE ISSUES AND WORKING TO MAKE
OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM MORE
EFFICIENT BUT ALSO MORE FAIR.
>> ATTORNEY GENERAL GONZALES,
WHAT’S A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR OUR
VIEWERS TO SINK THEIR TEETH INTO
HERE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS
THERE BUT, PERHAPS, HAS BEEN
BROUGHT TO LIGHT BY THE COVID-19
CRISIS, AND SOMETHING YOU ALL
ARE TRYING TO SOLVE HERE?
>> WELL, GOOD MORNING, FIRST OF
ALL.
THANK YOU.
IT’S A PLEASURE TO BE INVOLVED
IN THIS EFFORT WITH A.G. LYNCH,
WHO I RESPECT AND I WELCOME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HER AND
A DISTINGUISHED PANEL OF MEMBERS
ON THIS COMMISSION TO DEAL WITH
THE VERY -- I THINK, A VERY
IMPORTANT ISSUE.
I THINK CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
IS ONE THAT, OF COURSE, IS NOT
PERFECT, BUT THE FACT WE CAN
NEVER REACH PERFECTION DOESN’T
MEAN WE SHOULDN’T AT LEAST TRY
TO DO BETTER.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS
COMMISSION IS TO IDENTIFY THE
EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC UPON OUR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND
HOPEFULLY RELYING UPON THE
EXPERTISE THAT OTHER MEMBERS OF
THE COMMISSION COME UP WITH
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE THINGS
BETTER.
BOTH A.G. LYNCH AND I CARE VERY
MUCH ABOUT OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS
AND THOSE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN
EXASPERATED BY THE PANDEMIC.
WE FEEL AN OBLIGATION TO TRY TO
BE HELPFUL AND LENDING OUR VOICE
TO TRY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS
HERE.
>> SO, ATTORNEY GENERAL LYNCH,
HOW ABOUT FOR YOU, WHAT’S AN
EXAMPLE OF -- WHAT’S ONE ISSUE
OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE THAT YOU
THINK HAS HAD A LIGHT SHINE ON
IT BECAUSE OF THIS CRISIS AND
HOW DO WE DO BETTER WITH IT?
>> LOOK, I HAVE TO SAY, WHEN
WE’VE ALREADY BEEN TALKING ABOUT
THE RISING RATES OF
INCARCERATION IN OUR COUNTRY,
AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE TO HOLD
PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.
WE HAVE ALWAYS WORKED AND FOUGHT
TO TRY AND DO IT IN A WAY THAT
REALLY REFLECTS NOT JUST THEIR
LIABILITY BUT OUR VALUES AS A
SOCIETY.
AND AS WE LOOK AT THE RISING
RATES OF INCARCERATION, IMPOIN
THAT WHERE A PANDEMIC THAT HAS
BEEN RIPPING THROUGH OUR
CORRECTIONAL SYSTEMS, EXPOSED
INEQUALITIES IN OUR HEALTH CARE
SYSTEM, EXPOSED INEQUALITIES IN
OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FROM
THE BEGINNING.
WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
ESSENTIALLY MOVING THROUGH THE
SYSTEM THAT IS NOW FROZEN.
HOW DO WE REALLY METE OUT
JUSTICE WHEN THE COURTHOUSE IS
LITERALLY CLOSED?
HOW DO WE POLICE EFFECTIVELY
WHEN PEOPLE CAN’T INTERACT EVEN
WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS OR THE
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT’S
SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF
VIOLENCE REDUCTION STRATEGY?
THIS PANDEMIC HAS HIGHLIGHTED
THE NEED TO HAVE ESSENTIALLY AN
ALL-HANDS ON DECK EFFORT AT
REDUCING CRIME, PREVENTING
INCARCERATION, MAKING
INCARCERATION SOMETHING THAT
WORKS FOR OUR SYSTEM AND MOVES
PEOPLE THROUGH THE PROCESS, NOT
LETS THEM SIT STAGNANT IN THE
PROCESS.
>> ATTORNEY GENERAL LYNCH, EDDIE
GLAUDE JR. HAS A QUESTION FOR
YOU.
EDDIE?
>> A.G. LYNCH, THANK YOU FOR
THIS COMMISSION, ALONG WITH A.G.
GONZALES.
I HAVE A QUESTION.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PROTESTS
IN THE STREETS, CLAIMS, DEMANDS
TO DOUGHEFUND THE POLICE, CLAIMS
AROUND WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
PRISONS AND JAILS, BUT WE
RECENTLY HEARD YOUR COLLEAGUE
ATTORNEY GENERAL BARR SAY BEFORE
CONGRESS THAT HE DOESN’T BELIEVE
THERE’S A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM OF
RACISM THROUGHOUT OUR POLICING
COMMUNITIES.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT, DO YOU
AGREE WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL BARR
THAT THERE’S NOT A PROBLEM OF
SYSTEMIC RACISM IN POLICING IN
THIS COUNTRY, OR DO YOU HOLD THE
VIEW THAT, IN FACT, THERE IS AND
THAT PART OF THE COMMISSION’S
WORK IS TO ADDRESS THIS
INEQUALITY AND HOW POLICING AND
CRIMINAL JUSTICE TAKES PLACE IN
THE COUNTRY?
>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT,
PROFESSOR.
LOOK, I THINK WE’RE ALL
GRAPPLING WITH THE WAY IN RACISM
SOCIETY HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED IN
RECENT MONTHS.
I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS
POPULATED BY MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE
STRIVING TO DO THE RIGHT THING
AND STRIVING TO BRING FAIRNESS
AND EQUALITY TO A SYSTEM, BUT I
ALSO KNOW THAT’S A DIFFICULT
THING WHEN YOU ARE OPERATING
WITHIN A SYSTEM THAT HAS
INHERITED, YOU KNOW, PROCESSES,
METHODS OF DOING BUSINESS.
FRANKLY, HAS DRAWN FROM THE
GREATER SOCIETY IN TERMS OF HOW
IT VIEWS CERTAIN PEOPLE, HOW IT
TREATS CERTAIN PEOPLE AND,
FRANKLY, HOW IT DEHUMANIZES
CERTAIN PEOPLE.
THESE TEND TO BE PEOPLE OF COLOR
THAT MOVE THROUGH THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
I’VE SEEN THAT THROUGHOUT MY 20
YEARS AS A PROSECUTOR.
WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF
SYSTEMIC RACISM.
NOT JUST IN OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM, BUT THROUGHOUT OUR
SOCIETY AND HOW IT IMPACTS THAT
SYSTEM.
AND WE CAN DO IT IN A WAY THAT
RECOGNIZES THE HARMS THAT IT
BRINGS TO ALL OF US.
THAT’S EVERYONE.
EVERYONE.
IF THE SYSTEM IS NOT FAIR, THEN
NO ONE HAS FAITH IN IT.
WE’RE ALL THE POORER FOR THAT.
WE CAN DO THAT IN A WAY THAT
ADDRESSES THOSE ISSUES AND TRIES
TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR THE
PROBLEM.
I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT
THAT WE THINK ABOUT THIS
PANDEMIC AS A MARATHON AND NOT A
SPRINT.
IT’S ALREADY LASTED MONTHS.
IT WILL LAST FOR MONTHS MORE.
WE ALL WANT TO GET BACK TO
NORMAL.
BUT WHAT WE’VE SEEN IN SO MANY
AREAS OF LIFE, NORMAL WASN’T
WORKING FOR US.
WE’VE GOT TO DEAL WITH THESE
ISSUES AND WE’VE GOT TO DEAL
