you are imprisoned at el reno and you were released by president obama will step obama just visited el reno yesterday the first sitting president to visit a federal prison. your thoughts? >> my first thought when i heard it was, and a never thought in a million years i would ever say this but there was no place i would rather be then el reno just to meet the president and shake his hand and to hug him and tell him i was so grateful for what he is done for me and for my family and others, and ask them to keep on doing it for those inmates who truly deserve it. i think it is just a shame that there is never been a president who is talked about sentencing reform are prison reform, who has never been to a prison. for him to do that, i mean, that is what is needed. how can you make a suggestion on how to change something if you don't even know what is going on inside prison? president obama that is a great step he has taken. and pretty sure while he was in that prison, that he had to a felt what i felt and there thinking i was going to die step hopefully, it had a strong impact on him. and

he visited the el reno correctional institution near oklahoma city, becoming the first sitting president to visit the federal prison. the president met with inmates and walked past cells with big gray doors, to address the social and financial cost that incarcerated millions of americans, many of them latino an black. why contractual justice reform has attracted bipartisan mowms. firsmomentum. first though, look at pictures that have helped exacerbate the prison problems, five times high are than nation's prison population in 1980. the surge mostly flks changes in sentencing laws in the 1980s and 90s, those laws are a key reason that although the united states accounts for less than 5% of the world's population it now has more than 20% of the globe's prison population. president obama this week said the $80 billion the united states spends every year on incarceration comes at the expense of more effective ways of deterring crime. he challenged congress to pass a bipartisan spending proposal, of course that's not going to happen but there is broad support for doing something to reduce how

he visited the el reno correctional institution near oklahoma city, becoming the first sitting presidentsit

he visited the el reno

he visited the el reno correctional institution near oklahoma city, becoming the first sitting presidentsit the federal prison. the president met with inmates and walked past cells with big gray doors to address the social and financial cost that incarcerated millions of americans, many of

obama is going to meet with prison officials and inmates at el reno federal correctional institution near oklahoma city. earlier in the week he told the naacp too many minorities and low level drug offenders are landing behind bars. >> do we really think is it makes sense to lock so many people alone in tiny cells for 23 hours a day for months, sometimes for years at a time? that is not going to make us safer. >> the president's visit to the federal prison comes after he just commuted the sentences of 46 nonviolent drug offenders earlier this week. many were in prison for 20 years, some for life. >>> a news conference on an iran nuclear deal took an unexpected turn when the president was asked about bill cosby. the president says he would not comment on the specific case, but did say this. >> if you give a woman, or a man for that matter, without his or her knowledge a drug and then have sex with that person without consent, that's rape. >> the comment came after a reporter asked about efforts to revoked cosby's medical of freedom award. it was awarded in 2002 by president george w.

with law enforcement officials and six inmates as he toured the el- leano federal correctional -- el-reno federal correctional institute another oklahoma city. >> a primary driver of this mass incarceration phenomenon is our drug laws are mandatory minimum sentencing around drug laws. and, we have to consider whether this is the smartest way for us to both control crime and rehabilitate individuals. >> earlier this week the president commuted the sentences of 46 nonviolent drug offenders who he said had been given punishments that didn't fit their crimes. >>> former president george h.w. bush is in fair condition at a hospital in maine after falling and breaking a bone in his neck yesterday. this happened at his summer home and so far doctors say it's too early to speculate as to when the 91-year-old will be released from the hospital but when he is doctors say he will wear a neck brace. mr. bush is the oldest living former president. >>> plans to build a new stadium for the oakland raiders take another step forward. who leaders are expected to meet with today. a slight warm-up for parts

the president is scheduled to meet with officials in el reno federal correctional institute in oklahoma later this morning and echo many of the themes he talked about in philadelphia on tuesday on his push to overhaul the criminal justice system. >>> one of the republicans hoping to replace president obama is chris christie and calling for changes in the criminal justice system and today use camden as an example what have is working. matt delucia is joining us live. matt, why camden? >> this is a city long time had a problem with crime. the governor trying to change that and a lot of programs in effect under this governor's term so he will tout that later on today pooh. chris christie will speak today and this one is focusing on criminal justice reform. his campaign touts that throughout governor accuracy'schristie's career he is focused on drug treatment and addiction and helping nonviolate criminals back into society and keeping the violent criminals off the street. we mentioned president obama's speak and president clinton spoke at the naacp convention in philadelphia earlier in the

the president is scheduled to meet with officials and inmates at el reno federal correctional institute in oklahoma later this morning and he is expected to touch on many of the themes he talked about in philadelphia on tuesday in his push to overhaul the criminal justice system. there are also calls for change to the criminal justice system from the other side of the aisle. today chris christie will deliver a speech on the topic using camden as a backdrop. matt delucia is live in camden. a lot of talk about reforming the system this week. what do we expect today? >> reporter: all of those conversations have been happening in our area as well. camden is the backdrop for this one considering that chris christie is the governor of this state. this will be his fifth policy speech since announcing his run for president. the focus is on criminal justice reform in the christie campaign. it touts throughout the governor's career he is focused on drug addiction and treatment but today is helping nonviolent offenders get back into society while keeping the violent criminals off the street. this

the president is scheduled to meet with officials in el reno federal correctional institute in oklahoma later this morning and echo many of the themes he talked about in philadelphia on tuesday on his push to overhaul the criminal justice system. >>> one of the republicans hoping to replace president obama is chris christie and calling for changes in the criminal justice system and today use camden as an example what have is working. matt delucia is joining us live. he is live in camden. why camden, matt? >> this is a city that is long had problems with crime. >> reporter: the governor has tried to change that. he has been in office for quite sometime now. there have been changes here in camden. chris christie will be delivering his fifth public policy speech since announcing his run for president. this one focusing on criminal justice reform. his campaign has been touting through governor christie's career he has focused on drug addiction and treatment and today's speech is about to help nonviolent offenders get into society and keeping the violent criminals off the street. president o

first sitting president to ever visit a federal prison when he goes to a medium security facility in el reno, oklahoma. he'll talk about the criminal justice system there and meet with corrections officials and inmates. >>> next at 11 tonight, donald trump sounding off on the media, american trade deals, and yes immigration. what he sid tonight in an hour-long news conference that at times got heated. >>> new trouble for comedian bill cosby. the lawmakers now calling for him to lose the highest civilian honor in the nation. >>> and the celebration of a lifetime on the streets of the big apple. the women's world cup team on how it compares to winning that match against j >>> two u.s. senators now support an effort to get the white house to revoke bill cosby's presidential medal of freedom. senators kirsten gillibrand and claire mccaskill say they agree with a group collecting signatures on a white house. it follows the release of an old deposition of bill cosby obtaining quaaludes and giving them to women he wanted to have sex with. it is known as the highest civilian honor in the country. >>

he will talk to officials and inmates in el reno oklahoma this morning.ted to call for prison and sentencing reforms. oklahoma imprisons more women than any state in the country. local mayors want to talk to the president about that problem. >>> 39 minutes past the hour. time for an early start on your money. stocks are up around the world after greece voted yes on tough economic reforms. an overhaul of pension and tax systems. here in the u.s. stock futures are higher. one stock we are watching is netflix which is up before the bell thanks to huge subscriber growth. 3.3 million customers last quarter to a total of 65 million members. the stock is the best in the s&p up more than 100% this year and a 7 for 1 stock split took shares down from 700 to 100. that makes it easier for the every day investor. >>> the annual espy awards honor the year's best achievement in sports. the highlight of wednesday's ceremony may have been a former champion known as caitlyn jenner with the arthur ashe courage award and made a plea for accepting people for who they are. cn

predator has gone before to federal prison he was speaking of and make some law- enforcement officers at el reno prison in the oklahoma city as part of a series of events of criminal-justice he the first sitting u.s. president to visit a federal prison what is there an interview for a documentary on criminal-justice by israel program. >>mark: the academy television are signs will be announcing the in nomination the tv drama series empire madmen along with a sitcom blackish is among the top contenders. it could be a big year for diversity is was the aftermath can actresses for top drama acting, it could go to a by davis for getting away with murder or carry washington for scandal the best actor john awarded double entente on actress >>darya: and like a game of loans and homelands--game of thrones. >>darya: still ahead caitlin jenner reese audience members to tears at the sb award and she except and what we will see what she said the world needs to do and house republican the trying to bring more water to the california farm belt and the export drop continues find out what is getting in their way.

he visited the el reno correctional facility in oklahoma.he visit is part of his effort to highlight the challenges and opportunities that the criminal justice system faces. >> the question is not only how do we make sure we sustain those programs here in the prison but make sure those same institutional supports are there for kids and teens before they get into the criminal justice system. >>> a special bay area invitation for donald trump. mexico's consul general wants human him to attend a mexican festival in schedule. he's repeatedly accused mexico of sending criminals to the u.s. he says the festival may help change trump's perception of the mexican people. >>> what's the best university to attend if you want a job in the silicon valley? stanford? mit? we have a winner and it may surprise you. scott budman joins us from the winning campus. >> reporter: it is san jose state university. not the most expensive or prestigious but voted the top school to attend if you want to get a job in tech. >> reporter: we all know stanford university is

he went to a medium-security prison in el reno, oklahoma, part of a week-long push to reform the nation's criminal justice system sentences and treats people who break the law. >> we have to reconsider whether 20 or 30 or life sentences for non-violent crimes is the best way for us to solve these problems. >> the president noted that many of the young men he talked to today made the kinds of mistakes a lot of people make when they are young but he did not have the same support systems as others. >>> it will be one year before the man accused of the charles top church massacre stands trial. today, dylann roof went before a judge as his trial date is set. as nbc's sara daloff reports now we also learn whether sensitive details about the shooting would be released. >> reporter: shackled and wearing a striped prison jumpsuit, dylann roof was formally indicted on nine counts of first-degree murder at a hearing less than a mile from where he allegedly shot and killed nine people inside the emanuel african methodist episcopal church. >> base on the circumstances, we not seek bond at this time. >

the president visited el reno medium security prison in oklahoma and talked to six none violent drugender and shared his own experience. the president wrote in the memoir that he used marijuana and cocaine growing up. >> these are young people who made mistakes that aren't that different than the m is tastes i made and the mistakes that a lot you guys made. the difference they didn't have the support structure that would allow them to survive the m is taishtion the president vowed to overhaul prison sentencing the final month in his office this would include altering minimum sentencing guidelines for non-violent drug offenders. >> now stunning new details of miraculous survival. 16-year-old autumn beach speak out about the small plane she was in crashed. she wandered for 2 day before emerging through the wood. spoke about the terrifying ordeal and amazing second chance. >> difference positive i was going die then i was positive would i live wishing a bandage hand scratches and bug bites tonight autumn veech telling incredible story of survival. >> completely white and then the as we

. >>> president obama made history in oklahoma today with his tour of the el reno correctional institution. and he's the first president to ever visit a principal. mr. obama visited several of the cells and met with non-violent offenders. it's part of his week on criminal justice reform. >> most of them growing up in environments in which drug traffic is common, where many of their family members may have been involved. we have to reconsider whether 20 or 30-year life sentences for non-violent crimes is the best way for us to solve these problems. >> three years after the president reduced the sentences of 46 inmates serving long sentences for non-violent crimes. u.s. has the highest incarceration rate in the world. but as prison population grows so do the effects of that. >> the second whitest state in the u.s., maine is not known for its ethnic diversity. but here amongst the buildings a program is underway rooted in global indigenous cultures. it asks fundamental questions about the nature and purpose of criminal justice in the u.s. prisoners are being released early to learn about thei

the president is scheduled to meet with officials and inmates at el reno federal correctional institute in oklahoma later this morning and he is expected to touch on many of the themes he talked about in philadelphia on tuesday in his push to overhaul the criminal justice system. >>> face of gun violence on philadelphia streets. a man with a cell phone camera gives awe rare look at the pang and fear spread by bullets. earl clark was getting out of his car on blakemore street when two men were shot on june 26th. with his smartphone rolling he talked to victims as he start to lose consciousness. >> heart was hurt because i've seen so many violence in the city. i don't know what the root of it is but i just felt bad all of these kids are playing outside and this guy randomly drives by shooting up the block. you know? i don't get it. >> police got there a short time later and took the victim to the hospital. our nbc10 digital team looked into the case and found this shooting was one of two in the same area over the course of a week. police data shows while overall violent crime is down in t

on thursday he will become the first sitting president to visit a federal prison when he tours the el renoning me is political analyst and radio host ela farry hutchison. earl, thank you for your time here. >> thank you. >> i want to start with a major aspect of the president's push focusing on the mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent crimes which disproportionate addresss men and women of color here. look according to both the aclu and the naacp. african-americans are jailed on drug charges at a rate of ten times more than white-americans. the president who is urging a bipartisan effort to reform the criminal justice system. how does he get congress to see this as broader national issue than just a thing of race? >> well, i think two things francis. first of all, he's made it an issue. by the way, it's not new. two years ago the president took the first steps, big step when he commuted certain sentences of a number of people again, nonviolent anders drugs. remember former attorney general eric holder made a big issue of that about reform. also the supreme court weighed in on its too

. >>> it is 6:34 and today, president obama is in oklahoma where he plans to visit el reno correctional institution. the president is there to press for justice system reform. he's talked bluntly about this issue making it a centerpiece of his second term. we could hear more today about a plan to cut public works jobs in maryland. a board is considering eliminating public safety and corrections l told, 63 jobs could be on the chopping block. governor larry hogan is making the proposal. the board will crunch the numbers today at a meeting in annapolis. it would reportedly save about $3 million. >>> new this morning, a girl is recovering from a shooting in southeast d.c. police just told us the girl was shot in the shoulder on trenton place southeast off 13th street. they did not say her age. police are looking for a man they say may have shot the girl. she is expected to survive. >>> and d.c. police want your help. take a look at some video here. someone is caught stealing from a library. he stole multiple computer froms the deanwood library and he cut the wires holding them in place the

the visit to el reno federal correctional institution was part of the push for reduced sentences to non-violentrs. he wants to make it easier to turn their lives around. president obama met with six inmates. he described them as young people who made mistakes who aren't that different from many he and other americans have made. [ indiscernible ] >> second chances, the resources that would allow them to survive. >> president obama was clear on making a distinction between non-violent drug offenders and violent criminals. >> the visit comes days affhe granted -- after he granted clemency to some offenders. he said their punishments didn't fit the crime. frank and julie now. >> thank you. >>> tonight the search for a motive after a shooting at two military centers in chattanooga, tennessee. four marines were killed and we are learning about the gunman who is also dead. >> ktvu fox 2 news at 5:00 p.m. starts now. >> tonight law enforcement officers surrounded and swarmed the home of the gunman. sheer what we know right -- here is what we know right now. he is 24 years old, born in kuwait. there wer

. >> reporter: walk down the gleaning floors at el reno, correctional facility captured a historic moment. for the first time ever a sitting president visited a federal prison. >> we have to consider whether this is the smartest way for to us both control crime and rehabilitate individual. >> reporter: president obama's trip meant to spotlight his bid to overall america's criminal justice system especially reducing number of non-violent inmates behind bars. >> a primary driver of this mass incarceration phenomenon is our drug laws are not ferreter report thanks to mandatory sentencing polishes, ushered in under former president bill clinton america's prison population exploded, up to a half million to more than 2.2 million today. for taxpayers the price tag is up as well, staggering 341 percent increase over that time to $80 billion annually. >> i'm determine to do my part where every can. >> reporter: while the president made headlines when he commuted prison sentencees of 46 non-violence criminals including some drug dealers he is hardly loan in calling for some change. republicans of c

president to a federal prison, the el reno prison outside of oklahoma city. while there, the president will meet with law enforcement officials and inmates and conduct an interview with vice for a documentary that will air in fall about the realities of the criminal justice system. that will be the focus of the president's public events next week and the speech at the naacp will be a focal point. >> that will be less about racial issues in the country the last two or three years and much more about the specific issue this policy issue of criminal justice? josh: criminal justice reform will be the focus. >> what are the administration's attitudes so far based on what it's heard in the last 48 hours between the european union and greece? you indicated earlier this week you thought there might be a landing spot. what's the assessment? josh: at this point we have seen and welcomed the proposal that was put on the table by greece. it is something that's currently being considered by their creditors. we have said for quite some time now that the solution or the res

i want to thank the folks who are involved here in helping arrange this visit here at el reno federal penitentiary. this is part of our effort to highlight both the challenges and the opportunities we face with respect to the criminal justice system. many of you heard me speak on tuesday in philadelphia about the fact that the united states accounts for 5% of the world's population. we incarcerate 25% of the world's inmates. that represents a huge surge since 1980. a primary driver of this mass incarceration phenomenon is our drug laws, our mandatory minimum sentencing for drug laws. we have to consider whether this is the smartest way to both control prime and rehabilitate individuals. this is costing taxpayers across america $80 billion a year. as i said on tuesday, there are people who need to be in prison. and i do not have tolerance for violent criminals, many of them may have made mistakes. but we need to keep our communities safe. on the other hand, when we are looking at non-violent offenders, most of them growing up in environments in which drug traffic is common, where many

he got a look at what life is like for the 1300 inmates at the medium security el reno federal prisonr oklahoma city. it's eight times larger than it was in 1980, the federal prison system, costing taxpayers $7 billion a year. >> so many young people end up in our criminal justice system. it's not normal. it's not what happens in other countries. we have to reconsider whether 20 or 30-year life sentences for nonviolent crimes is the best way for us to solve these problems. >> obama is the first sitting president to visit a federal prison. >>> the faa is looking into a series of laser strikes that took 11 pilots by surprise last night. in just an hour and a half, nearly a dozen planes flying over new jersey faced the same dilemma: bright lights shining straight into their cockpit. nobody was injured but laser strikes can cause temporary blindness of for pilots. over 2700 cases have been reported this year. >>> well, it's been one year since the stockton bank robbery that later led to a deadly high- speed chase. one hostage and two of the robbers were killed in the final shootout with p

he's speaking with inmates and law enforcement officials at el reno prison near oklahoma city about criminal issues. he is the first u.s. president to visit a federal prison. >>> due in court two people charged with the sex trafficking of kids in this area. investigators say the man and woman operated out of an apartment in southeast. detectives say they got some help closing the case from one of the victims, a 14-year-old girl. >>> a brutal beat down on a d.c. street. we have video showing a group of men kicking, pulling and stomping on a man just to get his bicycle. the victim was clinging to it as one man jumped in the air and landed on him with both feet. the brutal attack happened saturday night in the 1100 block of r street northwest. police are looking for five men and the two bikes that got -- that they got away with. unbelievable. >>> on a lighter note, today 84 degrees and low humidity. and sunshine. a nice september, early september kind of day for the middle of july. not too bad at all. if you're going to the nats game together, it's going to be good baseball weather. a little ho

the white house announced yesterday that he'll tour oklahoma's el reno federal correctly institute and with inmates and officials there and it includes an interview for an upcoming hbo documentary that examines the military justice system. >>> two churches are said to have been intentionally set on fire and the sanctuary suffered significant damage. look. but no injuries reported at either location. authorities are investigating if both fires are linked. >>> the words between san francisco county's sheriff and federal officials is ramping up. the sheriff says his department is not to blame for the murder of a woman who was walking along the city's pier. that murder suspect sanchez is a mexico national who has been deported five times. questions arose whether the sheriff's deputy properly informed ice it released sanchez under a drug charge. >>> so the system failed. there is no way around that. people are committing it. the fbi even admitting a background check should have stopped the charleston shooter from getting his hands on that weapon he used in the massacre. is the problem mixab

the president visited visited el reno near oklahoma city and emphasize emphasized violent criminals needison but repeated what he said in philadelphia this week, that the us has 25% of all the world prison inmates. he calls that excessive. this mark the first time sitting president has visited a federal penetentiary. thousands of dollars in jewelry stolen from two new jersey homes and police say a philadelphia window washer is to blame. police are lugeing for 44-year-old brandon sander bria on july 7th an evesham township reported her jewelry missing after a local window cleaning service had been in her home. five days later she found her engagement ring in the driveway but the center diamond was gone. they tied him to another jewelry theft in evesham township. officials say the cleaning service is cooperating and is not involved in either incident. >>> to a developing story now. colorado courtroom. the verdict is in and the james holmes case. he is the man who opened fire in a movie theater prosecutors say killing 12 people and injuring 70 others nearly three years ago. the question is

. >> reporter: president obama went to the federal correctional institution in el reno oklahoma, to push for criminal justice reforms that he says will keep streets safe while saving taxpayers money. the president met inmates and got personal. >> these are young people who made mistakes that respect that different than the mistakes i made and the mistakes that a lot of you guys made. >> reporter: his plan includes reducing the sentences for non-violent offenders, like some drug-related crimes to ease prison overcrowding. >> my goal is that we start seeing some improvements at the federal level and that we are then able to see states across the country pick up the battalion. >> reporter: he wants to improve prison culture by cracking down on sexual assaults and limiting the time in solitary confinement and use more job training programs to help convicts transition back into society. the plan has rare bipartisan support. >> it's expensive to house prisoners. sometimes, frankly, some of these people are in there under what i will call flimsy reasons. >> reporter: some advocacy groups agree.

he's visiting the el reno federal prison in oklahoma city talking with inmates and law enforcement officialses to push for major criminal justice reforms. to comes just after the president commuted the sentences of 46 nonviolent drug offenders. >>> protesters violently clashing with police in greece after the parliament voted to accept a eurozone bailout package. painful new austerity measures mean more hardships ahead for the greek people including severe pension cuts and tax hikes. >>> and an undercover video gone viral shows a top official at planned parenthood discussing aborted fetuses over a glass of wine. it was shot last year by an anti-abortion group and led by a man named david deleaden. he's a long time anti-abortion activist who has been accused before of deceptively editing video. the group claims it documents planned parenthood selling fetal organs for a profit. planned parenthood calls the claims outrageous and flat out untrue. already some republican lawmakers though are calling for an investigation. athena jones has more. >> so i say, okay, what are you looking to supply tod

president obama's trip to el reno correctional facility in oklahoma was to spotlight his plan to overall america's criminal justice system. they have increased prison population from half million to more than 2.2 million. it is costing taxpayers as well. more than $80 billion annually. >> yeah, odd to see a president inside a federal prison. never happened before. >>> new jersey governor and presidential candidate chris christie is on board with that message of criminal justice reform. christie made a campaign stop in camden, yesterday, and he had had this message. it was a top priority for him, reaching the criminal justice system. he boon the georgia tour of the camden volunteer of america hope hall, a residential correctional treatment program for adult male offenders. governor christie chose camden to visit because he says, county policing has helped reduce crime and build better relationships with the residents of camden. governor christie says that the war on drugs has been a failure. he also criticized long prison terms for non-violent offenders. the kind of the same page as the p

the white house announced friday he will tour oklahoma's el reno federal correctional institution.ith inmates and law enforcement officials. the visit also includes an interview for an upcoming hbo documentary that examines america's criminal justice system. >>> florida state running back dalvin cooke has been suspended indefinitely after being charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly punching a woman in the face outside a tallahassee bar last month. he is denying the allegation. it is the second battery charge against an fsu player in the past couple days. quarterback deandre johnson was dismissed from the team and charged with battery for this incident caught on videotape in a tallahassee bar. >>> and now to the big day at wimbledon. today, serena williams the world's number one women's tennis player won her sixth wimbledon crown and her 21st grand slam title overall. cnn's christie mcfarland has been following the story from wimbledon. >> the queen of centre court has done it again. 13 years after serena williams took her first wimbledon title, she has followed up today wi

the president is expected to meet with officials at el reno federal correction center in an hour. he'll sit with an interview with with vice media to be included in a documentary on the criminal justice system. >>> new developments in greece where people in greece are still not able to visit their banks but that could soon change. the european union agreed today on a short-term loan to greece until mid-august. this comes after the greek parliament approved strict austerity measures in order to secure bailout money. the banks have remained closed as part of financial controls put in place by the government so people have been lining up at atms throughout greece to withdrawal their daily limit of $65. >>> just a wow kind of day out there. we've got another one coming tomorrow before the weekend gets here. two beauties in a row. we have a heat wave coming starting over the weekend. some thunderstorms possible. blue skies out there right now. 74 degrees. winds north-northeast. 2 degrees warmer than it was at this time yesterday. into the low to mid-70s elsewhere across the area. tempe

an unprecedented move and a lot of thought into choosing this el reno prison facility. >> absolutely, the first time a president will visit a federal prison like this. it will also be an opportunity for the president to do a couple of things. by shining a light on the issue that he has been championing for a long time but as you pointed out, really gave attention to this, this idea that there's a disparity in sentencing for offenders and an enormous growth in the number of inmates in the united states over the last 30 years or so. so the president will also participate in a documentary on vice that will appear later in the year but today, of the 1300 male inmates who were there, he will be meeting with something, along with law enforcement officials and this will send a signal about how he believes the system is not operating in the best way to treat different kinds of offenses to still be tough on crime but also reasonable and appropriate with sentences when sort of the view on how to best treat in particular drug offenders over time, has changed. that long and sometimes even life se

this thursday he will become the first president to visit a federal prison when he tours the el renoility in oklahoma. for more, we are joined in washington, d.c., by cynthia roseberry, director of the clemency project 2014. her organization helps train lawyers to file clemency petitions for non-violent drug offenders. some of those petitions were among those granted thursday. and in chicago, we are joined by reynolds wintersmith, who once faced life in prison for selling crack, but was granted a new beginning in 2014 when president obama commuted his sentence. wintersmith was just 17 in 1994 when he was arrested. it was his first offense. he is now a restorative justice counselor at cca academy, a high school in chicago. welcome both of you to democracy now! in washington, d.c., let's begin, cynthia roseberry, with you. talk about the people who are just granted clemency. >> sure. many of them were convicted under draconian drug laws. i was a clemency project 2014 is not limited to drug offenders but most of those laws have changed now. so this initiative gave hope to people who nev

on thursday, obama will tour the el reno correctional institute a medium-security prison in oklahoma.bama is also expected to commute the sentences of dozens of nonviolent offenders this week and deliver a speech on the need for sentencing reform before the naacp on tuesday. and those are some of the headlines. this is democracy now! democracynow.org, the war and , peace report. i'm amy goodman. we begin today's show with a story democracy now! has followed closely for more than a decade. a new independent review has revealed extensive details on how members of the american psychological association, the world's largest group of psychologists, lied about their close collaboration with officials at the pentagon and cia to weaken the association's ethical guidelines and allow psychologists to participate in the government's interrogation programs after 9/11. the 542-page report was commissioned by the psychological association's board of directors last year based on an independent review by a former assistant u.s. attorney, david hoffman. it undermines the apa's repeated denials that so

he visited a federal prison the el reno federal prison in oklahoma. was taken to cell block b where he got a look at the 9x10 foot cells that are home to as many as three men at a time. knight nine feet by ten feet. he spent time with workers who are in for non-violent drug offenses. >> these are young people who made mistakes that aren't that different than the mistakes i made and mistakes a lot of you guys made. the difference is they did not have the kind of support structures, the second chances, the resources that would allow them to survive those mistakes. i think we have a tendency sometimes to almost take for granted, or think it's normal that so many young people end up in our criminal justice system. it's not normal. it's not what happens in other countries. what is normal is teenagers doing stupid things. what is normal is young people making mistakes. that's what strikes me. there but by the grace of god. >> over the course of my lifetime, if any prominent politician, particularly a democrat had made a statement like, this let a loan a tri

today, president obama became the first sitting president to visit federal prison when he toured the el reno oklahoma. after meeting with inmates the president called on the nation to rethink the way it sentences nonviolent drug offenders. >> a primary driver of this mass incarceration phenomenon is our drug laws mandatory minimum sentencing around drug laws. and we have to consider whether this is the smartest way for us to both control crime and rehabilitate individuals. >> this was the president's answer when asked what struck him most during his prison visit. >> visiting with these six individuals, when they describe their youth and childhood, these are young people who made mistakes that aren't that different than the mistakes i made, and the mistakes that a lot of you guys make the different is they did not have the kinds of support structures the second chances. the resources that would allow them to survive those mistakes. >> the president's visit comes day as after he commuted the sentences of 46 nonviolent drug offenders and delivered a major speech calling for criminal justice ref

he will meet separately with law enforcement officials and nonviolent drug offenders at el reno federalional institution. >>> house democratic leader, nancy pelosi, says the iran nuclear deal will have her strong support. she expressed her backing for the accord at a news conference this morning on capitol hill. >>> taxis are losing business travelers to ride-hailing services like uber. according to a expense management system provider certify. in the second quarter, it says uber accounted for 55% of ground transportation receipts. compared with 43% for taxis. almost a complete reversal from the beginning of the year. >>> and lance armstrong returning to the tour de france. for a charity ride this time. he set off early this morning to raise money to fight blood cancer, he and english soccer player jeff thomas riding tourt route a day ahead of the rest of the peloton. let's get back to "squawk alley." >>> shares of netflix up about 16%, gaining steam this morning after earnings and subscriber growth handily beat estimates. reed hastings was asked about the next big moves beyond the u.s.

barack obama became the first sitting president to do that today, touring el reno federal correctional institution in oklahoma. after meeting with inmates, the president seemed to reflect on a life that could have been, referencing his own experiences with marijuana and cocaine when he was much younger. >> these are young people that made mistakes that aren't that different from the mistakes i made and the mistakes that a lot of you guys make. the difference is they did not have the kinds of support structures, the second chances, the resources that would allow them to survive those mistakes. >> today's visit was part of an effort to further highlight the president's agenda of criminal justice reform, which the president laid out in a speech to the naacp on tuesday, a day after he commuted the sentences of 46 nonviolent drug offenders. it's kind of hard to imagine that 20 years ago a democratic president pushing to shorten sentences and reduce incarceration would feel that he had the political room to do it. now it seems that having the world's largest prison population, full of racial

he visited the federal prison in el reno to highlight what he calls, overly harsh prison sentences. u.s. prison population has doubled in the past 20 years. president obama's first sitting president to visit a federal prison. >>> and a judge is putting the brakes on uber after the company failed to properly log passenger data. california's fining the ride-sharing company $7.3 million and recommending it be suspended from operating in the state. uber spokeswoman says the company is appealing the decision. i bet. david. david: that is a little like overregulation there. meanwhile very latest developments on those deadly shootings in chattanooga, tennessee, an act of domestic violence after isis called for attacks on u.s. military bases. >>> a sunni solution in the fight against isis? we'll talk to a former member of the iraqi parliament how to beat, yes, he says it can be done, beat the terror group isis. that's coming next. ♪ but i keep it growing by making every dollar count. that's why i have the spark cash card from capital one. i earn unlimited 2% cash back on everything i buy fo