CMPD chief, activist talk impact of mass incarceration on black community

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Kerr Putney sat down with a local activist Tuesday morning to talk about mass incarceration and its impact on the black community.

Putney spoke with Cedric Dean, who works with current and ex-inmates to turn their lives around through conflict resolution and job readiness.

[About Cedric Dean]

During the discussion, which also included a local pastor, Putney and Dean touched on the mass incarceration of African-Americans in the prison system, how police play a role, and how families and the community are connected to the issue.

The key message from the talk was that there needs to be a call to action for everyone in Charlotte to help children without hope or guidance.

"Let's stop talking about symptoms and when we'll fix the whole system and let’s start talking about the lives that are being lost right now," Putney said.

Putney and Dean also noted a character-building program that they’ll both attend in two weeks at the New Covenant Bibleway Church.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

• New documents released in case of baby kidnapped in 1998, raised in SC
• WATCH: Motorists drive around barricades at Plaza Midwood train tracks
• Man displays bizarre behavior while pleading guilty: 'I can dig it'
• WATCH: Keith Monday's Tuesday forecast outlook
• Huntersville family comes face-to-face with snarling coyote

Cox Media Group