---
title: "6 Criminal justice system Quotes By Barack Obama"
description: "6 Criminal justice system quotes by Barack Obama. Plus more from Barack Obama and more Criminal justice system sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/barack-obama-17_challenges_the-criminal-justice-system-is-obviously_235624.jpg"
---

> [ The criminal-justice system is, obviously, the sole source of racial tension in this country \[USA\] or the key institution to resolving the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-criminal-justice-system-is-obviously-the-sole-source-of-racial/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/barack-obama-17_challenges_the-criminal-justice-system-is-obviously_235624.jpg)

> [I don't want to exaggerate; having as many African American men as we've had in the criminal-justice system, and the amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-want-to-exaggerate-having-as-many-african-american-men-as-we/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/barack-obama-17_african-american_i-don-t-want-to-exaggerate-having-as-man_342312.jpg)

> [Over the last few years a lot of people have become aware of the inequities in the criminal justice system, right now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/over-the-last-few-years-a-lot-of-people-have-become-aware-of-the/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/barack-obama-17_country_over-the-last-few-years-a-lot-of-people_385726.jpg)

> [These are young people who made mistakes that aren't that different than the mistakes I made and the mistakes that a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/these-are-young-people-who-made-mistakes-that-aren-t-that-different/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/barack-obama-17_criminal-justice_these-are-young-people-who-made-mistakes_1171544.jpg)

> [We need to keep making our streets safer and our criminal justice system fairer - our homeland more secure, our world more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-need-to-keep-making-our-streets-safer-and-our-criminal-justice/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/barack-obama-17_criminal-justice_we-need-to-keep-making-our-streets-safer_1693617.jpg)

> [You have young men of color in many communities who are more likely to end up in jail or in the criminal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-have-young-men-of-color-in-many-communities-who-are-more-likely/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/barack-obama-17_any_you-have-young-men-of-color-in-many-comm_1990795.jpg)

## Other authors on Criminal justice system

- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b017/author-michelle-alexander-67636.jpg) Michelle Alexander 25 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/michelle-alexander/)
- [Alec Karakatsanis 12 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/alec-karakatsanis/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b011/author-hillary-clinton-42043.jpg) Hillary Clinton 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/hillary-clinton/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b003/author-aamir-8613.jpg) Piper Kerman 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/piper-kerman/)

## More by Barack Obama

> [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/barack-obama/#itemlist",
            "name": "6 Criminal justice system Quotes By Barack Obama",
            "numberOfItems": 6,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "The criminal-justice system is, obviously, the sole source of racial tension in this country [USA] or the key institution to resolving the opportunity gap. It is a part of the broader set of challenges that we face in creating a more perfect union.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Barack Obama"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-criminal-justice-system-is-obviously-the-sole-source-of-racial/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/barack-obama-17_challenges_the-criminal-justice-system-is-obviously_235624.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/barack-obama-17_challenges_the-criminal-justice-system-is-obviously_235624.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/barack-obama-17_challenges_the-criminal-justice-system-is-obviously_235624.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“The criminal-justice system is, obviously, the sole source of racial tension in this country [USA] or the…” — Barack Obama",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "I don't want to exaggerate; having as many African American men as we've had in the criminal-justice system, and the amount of time it takes for the damage done by that to wash through our society and our communities, the disadvantages born out of kids being undiagnosed with mental-health problems early, or not getting the kind of exposure to reading and math when they're 4 or 5 or 6 years old, that carries a cost.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Barack Obama"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-want-to-exaggerate-having-as-many-african-american-men-as-we/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/barack-obama-17_african-american_i-don-t-want-to-exaggerate-having-as-man_342312.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/barack-obama-17_african-american_i-don-t-want-to-exaggerate-having-as-man_342312.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/barack-obama-17_african-american_i-don-t-want-to-exaggerate-having-as-man_342312.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“I don't want to exaggerate; having as many African American men as we've had in the criminal-justice system…” — Barack Obama",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Over the last few years a lot of people have become aware of the inequities in the criminal justice system, right now, with our overall crime rate and incarceration rate both falling, we're at a moment when some good people in both parties, Republicans and Democrats and folks all across the country, are coming up with ideas to make the system work smarter and better.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Barack Obama"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/over-the-last-few-years-a-lot-of-people-have-become-aware-of-the/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/barack-obama-17_country_over-the-last-few-years-a-lot-of-people_385726.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/barack-obama-17_country_over-the-last-few-years-a-lot-of-people_385726.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f83/barack-obama-17_country_over-the-last-few-years-a-lot-of-people_385726.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Over the last few years a lot of people have become aware of the inequities in the criminal justice system…” — Barack Obama",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "These are young people who made mistakes that aren't that different than the mistakes I made and the mistakes that a lot of you guys made, we have a tendency sometimes to almost take for granted or think it's normal that so many young people end up in our criminal justice system. It's not normal. ... What is normal is teenagers doing stupid things.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Barack Obama"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/these-are-young-people-who-made-mistakes-that-aren-t-that-different/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/barack-obama-17_criminal-justice_these-are-young-people-who-made-mistakes_1171544.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/barack-obama-17_criminal-justice_these-are-young-people-who-made-mistakes_1171544.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/barack-obama-17_criminal-justice_these-are-young-people-who-made-mistakes_1171544.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“These are young people who made mistakes that aren't that different than the mistakes I made and the…” — Barack Obama",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "We need to keep making our streets safer and our criminal justice system fairer - our homeland more secure, our world more peaceful and sustainable for the next generation.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Barack Obama"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-need-to-keep-making-our-streets-safer-and-our-criminal-justice/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/barack-obama-17_criminal-justice_we-need-to-keep-making-our-streets-safer_1693617.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/barack-obama-17_criminal-justice_we-need-to-keep-making-our-streets-safer_1693617.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/barack-obama-17_criminal-justice_we-need-to-keep-making-our-streets-safer_1693617.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“We need to keep making our streets safer and our criminal justice system fairer - our homeland more secure…” — Barack Obama",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 6,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "You have young men of color in many communities who are more likely to end up in jail or in the criminal justice system than they are in a good job or in college. And, you know, part of my job, that I can do, I think, without any potential conflicts, is to get at those root causes.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Barack Obama"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-have-young-men-of-color-in-many-communities-who-are-more-likely/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/barack-obama-17_any_you-have-young-men-of-color-in-many-comm_1990795.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/barack-obama-17_any_you-have-young-men-of-color-in-many-comm_1990795.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/barack-obama-17_any_you-have-young-men-of-color-in-many-comm_1990795.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“You have young men of color in many communities who are more likely to end up in jail or in the criminal…” — Barack Obama",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/barack-obama/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/barack-obama/",
            "name": "Criminal justice system Quotes by Barack Obama",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/barack-obama/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/barack-obama-17_challenges_the-criminal-justice-system-is-obviously_235624.jpg"
            },
            "description": "6 Criminal justice system quotes by Barack Obama. Plus more from Barack Obama and more Criminal justice system sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/barack-obama/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/barack-obama/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Criminal Justice System",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Barack Obama",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice-system/barack-obama/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
