WASHINGTON – In response to the Department of Justice’s announcement on Wednesday that it will award almost $57 million to support criminal justice reform and advance racial equity in the criminal justice system,Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of theLawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement:
“The United States has the most extensive system of incarceration and punishment in the world. Our system cages, controls, and constrains the lives of more of its citizens than any other nation—a fact made all the more stunning when we factor in the stark racial disparities within that system. The Department of Justice’s notable investment is a much needed down payment on correcting the injustice that Black people and communities of color face daily. We applaud this proactive approach to addressing the structural inequities and institutional biases that have been evident in the American justice system for so many years.”
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law– The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.
