Issue Position: Transforming the Criminal Justice System

Issue Position

The criminal justice system in the state of Nebraska needs a transformation. Nebraska currently has one of the highest prison populations in the country and worldwide. One of my top priorities as your state senator will be to transform the criminal justice in the state of Nebraska. It's time to start addressing the needs and concerns of the community through policy changes. We must address discrepancies in convictions for people of color who commit the same crime as white counterparts. We must improve prison conditions and establish a statewide plan to address re-entry with the needs and concerns of our returning citizens in mind. We also need police accountability statewide and locally to put an end bad policing policies, the blue wall of silence, police brutality and misconduct, and racism. Our states probation and parole system are also in dire need of change especially to address cultural competency and race equity issues. We also need to establish incentives for recent law school graduates to become public defenders/reduce workload for public defenders to ensure a fair and equitable defense for all citizens. Lastly, I plan to lead the charge to legalize marijuana in the state of Nebraska and also clear the records of all citizens that have past marijuana tickets and convictions. ​

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