Hi, everybody. Today, there are 2. 2 million people behind bars in America and millions more on parole or probation1. Every year, we spend $80 billion in taxpayer2 dollars to keep people incarcerated3. Many are non-violent offenders4 serving unnecessarily long sentences.
I believe we can disrupt the pipeline5 from underfunded schools to overcrowded jails. I believe we can address the disparities in the application of criminal justice, from arrest rates to sentencing to incarceration6. And I believe we can help those who have served their time and earned a second chance get the support they need to become productive members of society.
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.
In February, I sat down in the Oval Office with police officers from around the country. In the spring, I met with police officers and young people in Camden, New Jersey7, where they're using community policing and data to drive down crime. Over the summer, I visited a prison in Oklahoma to talk with inmates8 and corrections officers about rehabilitating9 prisoners, and preventing more people from ending up there in the first place. Two weeks ago, I visited West Virginia to meet with families battling prescription10 drug and heroin11 abuse, as well as people who are working on new solutions for treatment and rehabilitation12. Last week, I traveled to Chicago to thank police chiefs from ac
