Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) on Friday said the United States has a "racist society from top to bottom" on everything from health care to criminal justice to education.
"We have a racist society from top to bottom impacting health care, housing, criminal justice, education, you name it. And clearly this is an issue that must be dealt with," Sanders said during the debate hosted by ABC News. "But in terms of criminal justice, what we have got to do is understand the system is broken—is racist. We invest in our young people in jobs and education, not more jails and more incarceration."
Sanders continued by calling for an end to the war on drugs, saying it has unfairly impacted African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans.
"Tonight in America 200,000 people are in jail without having been convicted of anything—200,000 people, because they can't afford the 500 bucks for bail they need to get out of jail," Sanders continued. "That is outrageous, we've got to end cash bail."