White House Summit Focuses on Women in Prison

 

Valerie Jarrett, left, addresses a convening on Women and the Criminal Justice System at The White House.

By Donna Owens

Carol Adams was a 17-year-old high school senior when her father shot and killed her mother in their home.

"I heard five shots in the next room," recalled Adams of the tragic incident some 35 years ago. "He had promised to kill her. …he was sentenced to seven years and served 18 months."

Today, Adams is a Richmond, Va., police sergeant who founded an eponymous foundation that aids women and children victimized by domestic violence. She was among those who shared their stories at an event convened by the White House focused on `Women and the Criminal Justice System.'

The Wednesday afternoon program not only coincided with Women's History month, but fell on a day in which President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 61 men and women convicted of non-violent drug offenses. To date, Obama has pardoned 268 individuals—more than the past six presidents combined. 

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Source: NBC News