Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he'll introduce legislation aimed at ending private prisons when Congress is back in sessions.
Sanders, who is running in the Democratic presidential primary, made the announcement at a campaign rally on Tuesday.
"When Congress reconvenes in September, I will be introducing legislation which takes corporations out of profiteering from running jails," Sanders said.
Watch a video of his remarks below at 1:02:30:
Sanders added that former inmates need programs to help them learn how to live outside prison once they're released.
"We need a rational path for them to return to civil society," Sanders said. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if somebody leaves jail without an education, without a job, without money, without housing and sometimes with mental health issues, that person is going to return to jail. Makes no sense to me."
This announcement from Sanders follows his unveiling of a a detailed platform on combating racial inequality and reforming criminal justice laws that included a proposal to end measures that keep convicted felons from voting. That platform was released one day after Sanders was interrupted by Black Lives Matter activists during a campaign rally.
Also on HuffPost:
