Denzel Washington Says Prison System Not To Blame For Mass Incarceration: 'It Starts With How You Raise Your Children' - Blavity
Decorated actor and director Denzel Washington believes that a strong family structure is the cure for America's mass incarceration problem. While doing press for his latest film Roman J. Israel, Esq., Washington was asked if his role as an activist lawyer changed his thinking about the prison-industrial complex. Surprisingly, the acclaimed actor and Oscar winner had an interesting take. “It starts at the home,” he told The New York Daily News at the film’s New York premiere. “It starts at home.” According to Washington, how a person was raised and whether or not a father figure had a prominent role in the family can influence a person's life choices. “It starts with how you raise your children," Washington continued. "If a young man doesn’t have a father figure, he’ll go find a father figure … it’s unfortunate that we make such easy work for them.” Mass incarceration is a huge problem in the United States. The ACLU estimates that 2.2 million people are behind bars in the...