June, 27 2016, 03:15pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Email:,press@civilrights.org,Phone: (202) 869-0398
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Department of Justice Initiative on Implicit Bias
Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to today's announcement that all federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors will receive mandatory training in implicit bias:
"Today's announcement sends a clear signal to the nation that there's no room for discrimination in America's justice system.
WASHINGTON
Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to today's announcement that all federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors will receive mandatory training in implicit bias:
"Today's announcement sends a clear signal to the nation that there's no room for discrimination in America's justice system.
Discriminatory policing practices like profiling are ineffective and unproductive because they distract law enforcement from pursuing individuals who pose serious threats to security. Profiling robs people of their dignity, undermines the integrity of our criminal justice system, and instills fear and distrust among members of targeted communities. Fair and impartial prosecutions and limitations on prosecutorial discretion are essential to ensuring equality and justice for all Americans.
While this training is an imperative step forward for our nation's ability to better enforce our laws, training alone will not eradicate discrimination in prosecutions and policing. We view this as another step toward the Department finally banning profiling at all levels of government and ensuring that implicit bias training occurs at the state and local level. We also encourage state and local law enforcement and district attorneys to follow suit to implement implicit bias training programs.
We applaud Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and look forward to working with the Department as it implements this training."
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. Through advocacy and outreach to targeted constituencies, The Leadership Conference works toward the goal of a more open and just society - an America as good as its ideals.
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