Please explain how Clinton did that alone. Be sure to explain away Regan, Bush Sr., the Justice Department, the War on Drugs, Three-Strikes laws, and just about everyone else down the chain that instituted those policies. Also explain away the tough-on-crime atmosphere in the 80s and 90s that started these policies, the undertone of institutionalized racism, and be sure to end with how nothing has changed through today, despite a decade of understanding how terrible the entire thing was.
Also, It's true that many leaders (many of them black) at and before Clinton's time were advocating tough-on-crime policies to stop crime in their neighborhoods, however look at how easily a person was able to get locked up under Clinton's regime. His regime saw the highest incarceration rates ever, with a huge percent of prisoners being locked up for possession of cannabis, or crack. He passed the bill that allowed that. Warrantless searches, 1.5 mil people locked up each year for non-violent possession of drugs under him. Bill is a very smart person, and the Clinton's are for-profit. They know how to make money, and they pass bills and campaign for reforms where they know they will get the biggest donation to their foundation. I do acknowledge that it wasn't just him that caused the prison crisis, but I do believe he was the worst at it
You're right, I shouldn't blame only Bill, but having read a few books and many articles on the Clintons, I believe Bill was the worst at handling the situation, looking out for the prison-industrial-complex (always looking out for the big guys), while cutting back on welfare (never looking out for the poor), giving green light to cops to make it open season for arresting non-violent (mostly black) people for drug possession.
Still disagree. The country wanted this and bought into this. They voted in "tough on crime" mayors, governors, congress people, and yes, presidents for years - decades, even. It started before I could vote, and maybe before you could, but this wasn't some faceless elite "establishment" - it was the whoooole country.
A whole lot of people seem eager to ignore that America arrived where it is today based on tens of millions of voters repeatedly deciding who runs their governments. As if they were the first citizens to look around and find themselves wholly dissatisfied with the state of government.
Not "We", Bill. You did that. I hate it when presidents can get away with their actions by just a few words.