Criminal justice and current affairs of systemic issues

As an organization dedicated to serving justice-involved persons—who are disproportionately African American—the leadership of the APA Div. 18 Criminal Justice Section felt it not only important but necessary to issue a statement addressing the public outrage occurring across the country. It is difficult to find words that have not already been said, so we will keep our message simple. We wholeheartedly condemn the injustices done to George Floyd and the many men and women of color who lost their lives to aggressive policing, inaction, and silence, as well as those who have been victims of various forms of systemic racism. Simultaneously, we fully support the need for better screened, better trained, and better managed law enforcement. For that, we join with our colleagues across the division and in particular, those in the Police and Public Safety Section. We urge governments and police departments to seek the assistance of police psychologists and benefit from their expertise. In our own organization, we will do better to promote justice and reform for our citizens of color. Resources related to the racial issues facing our country are available on the APA website.