The only news most people ever hear about the inner city comes from grim headlines; the only residents they can name are characters on 'The Wire.' Of course, ignorance of a community doesn't stop outsiders from having opinions about it… — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
Attica. The name itself has long signified resistance to prison abuse and state violence. — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
At the end of the day, I think my story is, we need black officers because African-Americans need a fair shot at good jobs… — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
One consequence of racism and segregation is that many American whites know little or nothing about the daily lives of African Americans. Black America's… — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
Most people that take jobs as police officers are taking them because they're good jobs. Many who go into these jobs are doing it… — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
Actually creating a positive school climate, particularly in schools that are in communities that are themselves not calm and orderly, is hard work. — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
A black man of my generation born in the late 1960s is more than twice as likely to go to prison in his lifetime… — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
I clerked for a judge, William Norris, on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals right after law school and then for Justice O'Connor the… — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
I find it very frustrating how much passing the buck there is in the criminal justice system when it comes to taking responsibility for… — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
You can get rid of the teacher certification requirements, and you're still not going to have a rush of incredibly high-quality people going into… — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
How come we never use prison, the failure of prison, as a reason not to give more prison? There's never a moment where we… — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
We rarely have good alternatives to offer to prison - that's our default. — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
“Mass incarceration is the result of small, distinct steps, each of whose significance becomes more apparent over time, and only when considered in light… — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
The fundamental problem for the teaching profession is how undervalued it is and how underpaid teachers are. — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
What if we strove for compassion, for mercy, for forgiveness? And what if we did this for everybody, including people who have harmed others? — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
In terms of addressing crime issues in the black community, the dominant political class has historically refused to endorse the full slate of reforms… — James Forman, Jr Copy Share Image
