If you look at the war on drugs, most of the people locked up are minorities. Yet, drugs are being used by kids of all colors and from all socio-economic backgrounds. So, why is it then that prisons are loaded up with minorities who were prosecuted for drug crimes?

The answer is because it is easier to arrest kids who gather in the city rather than in the suburbs. There are more patrols in the city. We give federal grants based on conviction rates, and frankly, kids who live in impoverished areas have less access to a good attorney.

If you go to the African-American community and ask them if the war on drugs is fair, they will say no. The restoration of voting rights is part of the answer, but we should also reclassify many of these crimes as misdemeanors so youthful mistakes do not prevent voting or employment.