Hillary Rodham Clinton says a wave of unrest in Baltimore shows the need to “restore order and security” and find ways to reform the criminal justice system.
The Democratic presidential candidate plans Wednesday to address the violence set off in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who suffered a spinal-cord injury while in police custody.
A Clinton aide says she will lay out policy proposals to end an era of mass incarceration during a speech in New York at Columbia University. She is expected to discuss reforms to probation and drug diversions, increasing support for mental health and drug treatment and pursuing alternative punishments for low-level offenders, including young people.
Clinton also plans to call for the use of body cameras for every police department in the country to help rebuild trust and fight crime. The aide isn’t authorized to speak by name and requested anonymity.
The former secretary of state said Tuesday night during a New York fundraiser that Gray’s death and the aftermath were “heartbreaking,” pointing to injuries to police officers and the burning of homes and small businesses.
“We have to restore order and security. But then we have to take a hard look as to what we need to do to reform our system,” she said.
In her remarks at Columbia, Clinton is also expected to discuss the unfairness of black men being more likely to be stopped and searched by police officers, charged with crimes and sentenced to longer prison terms.
Clinton is scheduled to speak at the David N. Dinkins Leadership and Public Policy Forum, named after the former New York mayor.
(AP)