The disparate effects of broken windows policing and the war on drugs on people of different races are immediately apparent in the demography of our prisons and in the severity of police response and attention of police forces to communities of color. In addition to the use of these policies to violate the civil rights of African Americans, these arrests cost tax payers inordinate sums that often go to private prisons. By using the presidential pardon in such a sweeping way, President Obama would enact the most sweeping reform to promote civil rights in decades and save our country millions, if not billions, per year.



