U.S. Senator Gary Peters has unveiled what he calls a bipartisan legislation to push for criminal justice reform in the nation. Republican Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas are cosponsoring the bill.
Peters’ proposal, a National Criminal Justice Commission, comes on the heels of numerous public outcries calling for an end to overbearing law enforcement in communities of color and most recently in Inkster, where a former Inkster police officer, William Melendez, is accused of brutally maltreating Detroiter Floyd Dent during a traffic stop in January.
The incident captured on tape drew nationwide outrage and added to the growing list of other widely publicized incidents around the country where police are seen using excessive force in their dealings with citizens.
A National Criminal Justice Commission, the first of its kind in 50 years according to Peters, “will ensure that we are administering justice in an equitable way and making sure that it is working for taxpayers.”
During the phone call with journalists, Peters said the proposed commission, which already has the backing of the national NAACP, the Fraternal Order of Police, National District Attorneys Association and other law enforcement groups around the country, will have an 18-month comprehensive review of the criminal justice system.
“It is long overdue. The goal is pretty straightforward. We need to promote fairness in our laws,” Peters said. “The commisison will look at criminal justice issues in light of what is happening to make sure equal rights of citizens are respected.”
In the area of the administration of justice, Peters said, “the system must work for everyone,” adding that the commission will also take a look at the grand jury system and the state of prisons.
The legislation would create a 14-member, bipartisan National Criminal Justice Commission made up of presidential and congressional appointees, including experts on law enforcement, criminal justice, victims’ rights, civil liberties and social services.
The legislation is coming 50 years after the last review of the criminal justice system was conducted in 1965 when President Lyndon Johnson created the Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice.
The legislation could not be more timely given that it is coming a week after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as the nation’s first African American female attorney general.
Lynch’s Justice Department is expected to continue the course of outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder in addressing how law enforcement deals with communities of color, and to avoid the kind of police encounters that led to the death of 25-year-old Black male Freddie Gray in Baltimore. His death in police detention sparked a riot in Baltimore this week that forced the state to call in the National Guard.
At Gray’s funeral, attended by thousands, civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson put his death in the growing list of other young African Americans who either died at the hands of police or were lynched during Jim Crow. Jackson called Gray a martyr.
“Do we need more state police? We need more housing. He was not a perfect person. but now he is more than a citizen. He is a martyr,” Jackson said.
During her swearing in ceremony Lynch underscored the importance of fairness in the justice system.
“We can imbue our criminal justice system with both strength and fairness, for the protection of both the needs of victims and the rights of all,” Lynch said. “We can restore trust and faith both in our laws and in those of us who enforce them. We can protect the most vulnerable among us from the scourge of modern-day slavery – so antithetical to the values forged in blood in this country.”
She added, “We can protect the growing cyber world. We can give those in our care both protection from terrorism and the security of their civil liberties. We will do this as we have accomplished all things both great and small — working together, moving forward and using justice as our compass.”
President Obama applauded Lynch’s confirmation.
“Loretta has spent her life fighting for the fair and equal justice that is the foundation of our democracy. As head of the Justice Department, she will oversee a vast portfolio of cases, including counterterrorism and voting rights; public corruption and white-collar crime; judicial recommendations and policy reviews — all of which matter to the lives of every American, and shape the story of our country,” Obama said. “She will bring to bear her experience as a tough, independent and well-respected prosecutor on key, bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform. And she will build on our progress in combatting newer threats like cybercrime. Loretta’s confirmation ensures that we are better positioned to keep our communities safe, keep our nation secure and ensure that every American experiences justice under the law.”
Randi Weingarten, national president of the American Federation of Teachers, blasted the delay in Lynch’s confirmation.
“Confirmations should never be held hostage by 166 days of political gamesmanship. Confirmations should be swift and based on qualifications, which is why Loretta Lynch’s nomination for attorney general should have sailed through. We commend this long overdue vote and look forward to working with an attorney general who takes to heart the Justice Department’s mission to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans,” Weingarten said.
Many are watching to see how Lynch responds to the crisis of confidence between law enforcement and communities of color underscored by Senator Peters’ legislation for a justice commission.
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