While some people are criticizing Felicity Huffman's 14-day prison sentence, for her role in the college admissions scandal, as too short of a period, John Legend doesn't find her imprisonment necessary at all.
Legend expressed his thoughts on Twitter Saturday, saying the actress doesn't need a longer sentence for being part of the college admissions scandal.
"I get why everyone gets mad when rich person X gets a short sentence and poor person of color Y gets a long one," Legend tweeted. "The answer isn't for X to get more; it's for both of them to get less (or even none!!!) We should level down not up."
The "Ordinary People" singer said Americans have become desensitized to incarcerations, but prisons and jails are not the answer to every bad thing everyone does.
I get why everyone gets mad when rich person X gets a short sentence and poor person of color Y gets a long one. The answer isn't for X to get more; it's for both of them to get less (or even none!!!) We should level down not up.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) September 14, 2019
Legend described Huffman's sentence as meaningless, saying no one in the country will benefit from the 14 days an actress will serve for cheating in college admissions.
The artist said it's also insane that Connecticut mother Tanya McDowell was locked up for five years for sending her kid to a school district outside of that which she lived despite being homeless at the time.
"Literally everyone involved in that decision should be ashamed of themselves," Legend said. "We don't need to lock people up for any of this stuff."
Legend is the founder of FreeAmerica, an organization which describes itself as"a campaign to transform America’s criminal justice system."
Earlier this month, Legend found himself in a Twitter exchange with Donald Trump.
The president wanted to get credit from Legend, who discussed his own efforts regarding prison reform during MSNBC's town hall meeting with Lester Holt.
According to USA TODAY, the judge in Huffman's case addressed the actress' sentencing in court.
"I don’t think anyone wants to go to prison," U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said. "I do think this is the right thing here. I think without this sentence you would be looking at a future with a community around you asking how you got away with this."
Huffman was ready to "accept the court’s decision today without reservation," USA TODAY reported.
"I broke the law. I have admitted that and I pleaded guilty to this crime," Huffman said. "There are no excuses or justifications for my actions. Period."
