52 percent of California voters cast ballots to keep the death penalty. Such a small margin suggests that voters may be inching closer to abolishing capital punishment in the state. It also provides an opportunity to reconsider our collective understanding of justice.

Despite scaling back California's three-strikes rule, voters approved two other overly punitive policies, a reminder that more public education is key before we can fully reform our justice system.

The Supreme Court's decision in Fisher v. Texas, dubbed the "affirmative action" case, could result in policies that provide even fewer educational and economic opportunities to young black men and, in turn, result in the incarceration of more of this large swath of our community.

Members of Congress and advocates on the Hill should take notice of a case being heard today at the Supreme Court. Fisher v. Texas has gotten much attention as “the affirmative action case;” however, the outcome of the case may also have ramifications on the country’s economic future.