In part 2 of "Is the Justice System Rigged" we are honored to be joined by two attorneys who have spent their careers advocating for oppressed and marginalized people, CJ Griffin and Karen Thompson. The conversation starts with an acknowledgement that, while the law theoretically belongs to everybody, every measurable data point belies that there is no equal justice under the law. From who is pulled over and arrested to who is prosecuted and who gets the best plea bargains, the justice system is, indeed, rigged against African Americans. Citing numerous statistics about the ways people of color are disproportionately impacted, CJ and Karen discuss the war on drugs, unfair sentencing disparities, and the impact mass incarceration has had on the black community. Drawing from rich historical examples, such as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, we unpack how criminalization serves a distinct, financial purpose. Low-income communities of color are over-policed, and a small ticket that they can't afford can easily spiral into a bench warrant that traps them in an inescapable legal dragnet. While the issues discussed may seem overwhelming and hopeless, we end on a word of promise. Despite the mess that the criminal justice system is, many in our nation continue to press towards a better, fairer world.
