Obama: Make criminal justice 'smarter,' 'fairer,' 'more effective'

By Curt Mills, Curt Mills

Published December 20, 2015

President Obama touted his trip to Chicago last week, and previewed an upcoming trip to Newark, N.J., Saturday as part of an ongoing tour of the nation to spur a strong national dialogue about criminal justice reform.

"I believe we can disrupt the pipeline from underfunded schools to overcrowded jails," Obama said. "That's why over the course of this year, I've been talking to folks around the country about reforming our criminal justice system to make it smarter, fairer, and more effective."

"Monday, I'll travel to Newark, New Jersey, to highlight efforts to help Americans who've paid their debt to society reintegrate back into their communities," Obama said.

Obama made an effort to note his approach is not a blame "law-enforcement-first" tact.