COLUMBIA, S.C. — Despite a controversial start, the Presidential Criminal Justice Reform Forum held at Benedict College got back to the goal of the event, discussing reforms in the criminal justice system.
Secretary Julian Castro, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke to students and supporters on Sunday, wrapping up the three day event.
When asked how he would achieve equal justice for all, Sec. Castro explained that "with regard to today, to make sure that from the very beginning of our criminal justice system, the cop on the street, that no matter the color of your skin, or the amount of money you do or don't have, that you're treated the same by police officers."
Sen. Warren touched on for-profit prisons in America.
"One of the problems with for-profit prison system, at the state and federal level, is that we end up with people who have a financial interest in making sure more Americans are locked up," says Warren. "We end up with people who lobby to make certain that the laws, that the system works to keep putting more people in."
Seven other candidates, including Congressman John Delaney, Mayor Pete Buttigeg, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Corey Booker, Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Bernie Sanders and Former Vice President Joe Biden attended on Saturday.
The goal was to discuss what the candidate would do to improve the criminal justice system in the us.
"We are going to go to war against the war on drugs, we are going expunge the records arrested of those people arrested for selling marijuana or having possessing marijuana, and as I said earlier we are not going to let a handful of corporations control the legal marijuana market," says Sen. Sanders.
"That is what is wrong," says Biden. "There is institutional racism that still exists and what should it require is every police department in America should have to go through what they used to call back when I first got started in the women's movement- sensitivity training "
Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, president of Benedict College says she was honored to have 10 democratic presidential candidates and President Donald Trump on campus this week.
"I hope that the ultimate message is not lost," says Dr. Artis. "We are paying attention, we are prepared to hold our elected officials accountable for issues that matter in the black community in particular, which is why it is important that it be on an HBCU campus, because we are the change we seek. These are the young people who will change the world and if we give them the information, the opportunity and the power to be a part of that conversation, I think great things will happen."