CHERISE: THANK YOU.
IN 2018, CONGRESS PASSED AND THE
PRESIDENT PRIORITIZED AND SIGNED
A CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM BILL
DESIGNED TO REDUCE CERTAIN
CRIMINAL PENALTIES AND
RECIDIVISM.
PEW RESEARCH STATISTICS SHOW
THAT THE BLACK IMPRISONMENT RATE
WAS MORE THAN FIVE TIMES THE
RATE FOR WHITES.
DO YOU THINK BLACK AMERICANS ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY INCARCERATED
AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO AS A
MEMBER OF CONGRESS ABOUT IT?
MS. BLANKENBEKER.
MS. BLANKENBEKER: SO, WHOEVER
DOES THE CRIME GOES TO JAIL.
I DON’T THINK WE ARE OUT THERE
AS A COMMUNITY -- OUR POLICE
OFFICERS ARE NOT OUT THERE JUST
SEEKING OUT AFRICAN-AMERICANS OR
A PARTICULAR RACE TO PUT IN
JAIL.
THAT ISN’T -- THAT ISN’T A
PROBLEM.
AS SUGGESTED.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE SUPPORT OUR POLICE
OFFICERS.
ANNIE KUSTER WANTS TO DEFUND THE
POLICE.
THIS IS GOING TO CREATE CIVIL
UNREST AND MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES
LESS SAFE.
WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE
SUPPORT OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND
THAT WE DEFEND OUR POLICE
OFFICERS.
THOSE POLICE OFFICERS THAT ARE
ACTING OUTSIDE OF THE PARAMETERS
OF WHAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR
POLICE OFFICERS, THEY SHOULD BE
HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
BUT NO I DON’T THINK THERE IS A
TARGETING OR A DISPROPORTIONATE
TARGETING OF A PARTICULAR RACE.
CHERISE: MR. NEGRON.
MR. NEGRON: THANK YOU.
IT IS REALLY FUNNY, THIS
PRESIDENT HAS DONE MORE FOR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM THAN ANY
OTHER PRESIDENT.
WE SEE THAT CLEARLY WHEN THERE
WAS A YOUNG LADY THAT SPOKE AT
THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
CONVENTION, THAT SHE WAS IN
PRISON FOR 18 YEARS AND IT WAS
BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
POLICIES THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO
COME OUT.
I THINK THE PROBLEM IS
DEEP-ROOTED.
I DON’T THINK IT IS GOING TO BE
FIXED BY A POLICY.
I THINK IT IS A PROBLEM WITHIN
SOME OF THE LARGER CITIES INNER
CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN
DEMOCRATICALLY CONTROLLED AND
RUN FOR DECADES.
I THINK THAT IS WHERE THE
PROBLEM STEMS.
I THINK THAT THERE ISN’T A
SITUATION WHERE THE POLICE
OFFICERS ARE OUT THERE TARGETING
INDIVIDUALS.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TO
STAND BEHIND THE POLICE.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A
SITUATION WHERE THEY NEED TO
KNOW THEY HAVE THE BACKING OF
NOT ONLY LOCAL AND STATE
GOVERNMENT, BUT THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY ARE THE
ONES PROTECTING U
