Newt Gingrich talks about re-evaluating criminal justice and prison systems | Anderson Cooper: ‘Who Are You?’

7/16/13 – During a CNN panel Tuesday night about race in the criminal justice system, former House speaker and future Crossfire host Newt Gingrich told Anderson Cooper that Congress should re-evaluate how the criminal justice system disproportionately targets black Americans. After a beat, Cooper looked somewhat baffled and asked Gingrich, “Who are you?”

Gingrich argued that you’d have to be “almost blind to America” to not see how much race impacts the criminal justice system. He said that Congress should look at how the system created “graduate schools for criminality” in the prison system. Cooper replied, “I think a lot of people are like, ‘Whoa, who are you?'” The audience applauded in agreement, with Cooper noting many of them are amazed to be agreeing with Gingrich.

Gingrich also pointed to the rise of gangs in American society, and asked, “How do we restore civility at ever level from schools to malls to walking late at night to see each other as genuine neighbors?”