Reverend Warnock believes that in the Land of the Free, it is a scandal and a scar on the soul of America that we imprison people at a higher rate than any other country in the world. America’s prison population is fed by a system that criminalizes poverty, imperils the bodies of its most vulnerable citizens, and incarcerates people of color at a disproportionate rate. Only by living up to the twin American promises of liberty for all and equal protection under the law can our nation truly begin to heal.

Reverend Warnock also believes that it is morally wrong and economically backward to close the doors of social re-entry on the formerly incarcerated. He understands that arrests, even for minor infractions, should not be a barrier for those that have paid their debt to society in prison and can continue to make contributions to their communities after they have served their time. As Senator, Reverend Warnock is fighting for criminal justice reform measures that make sense for Georgia – to move the nation toward justice and away from the harmful, ineffective, and costly policies that have devastated so many Georgia families. 

Reverend Warnock also believes we need to responsibly fund the police while reimagining the relationship between police departments and the communities they serve. In order to ensure accountability and build trust, he knows we need to invest resources into the training of police officers and into building genuine bonds of community rather than sowing the seeds of distrust. For this relationship, it’s equally critical for communities to trust that the justice system is designed to support them, which is why Reverend Warnock also supports appointing independent prosecutors to handle police-involved shootings.