Clinton Stakes A Position

Hillary Clinton Calls For Criminal Justice Reforms, End to 'Mass Incarceration' - NBC News.com:

Vowing to "end the era of mass incarceration," presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called for sweeping changes to the country's criminal justice system on Wednesday as well as a recognition of "hard truths" about race and law enforcement tactics nationwide.

"Everyone in every community benefits when there is respect for the law and when everyone in every community is respected by the law," she said in remarks at Columbia University on Wednesday.

Listing the series of unarmed black men who have recently died after altercations with law enforcement -- including Freddie Gray, whose death while in police custody sparked riots in Baltimore this week -- Clinton said that the deaths should "galvanize" Americans to fight for change.

"My heart breaks for these young men and their families," she said. "We have to come to terms with some hard truths about race and justice in America..."