Christie offering proposals to alter criminal justice system

By GEOFF MULVIHILL and JILL COLVIN
Associated Press

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is calling for giving nonviolent offenders with drug problems a better shot at rebuilding their lives.

Christie laid out his vision for criminal justice changes Thursday at policy speech in Camden, New Jersey. It was his first public event in his home state since announcing his 2016 Republican presidential bid there two weeks ago.

This is the fifth major policy address Christie has given this year as he tries to show, in a crowded Republican field, that he's focused on issues.

He is calling for mandatory federal drug courts for nonviolent suspects with drug problems.

Christie also is urging an improvement in frayed relations between communities and police. It's a delicate relationship that Christie says is working Camden, one of the nation's most crime-ridden cities.