Editor's note: Last year, the Minnesota Urban Debate League and Star Tribune Opinion put out a contest call to students between the ages 10 and 18: The task was to create an original written essay, video or audio file that described one or two specific changes our community, state or nation should make to reduce racial inequities and injustices in the criminal justice system. The following is one of the finalists. Click here for more information and a full list of winners.

Racial disparities in the criminal justice system aren't new; they've been an issue for quite some time now. Black Lives Matter protesters have been calling for change to this abusive system for years but nothing has been done. The same issues and the same situations pop up again and again. So, what has to be done? Systemic reform. The current system of criminal justice has shown us how racist and unjust it is, and every attempt at reform is minimal. To fully combat this we must address the key components in the system. By attacking the roots of this racist foundation we will be able to protect Black communities from carceral violence.

The first major step toward reform should be to redistribute police power. Over-policing is rampant in minority communities, making them the most vulnerable to abuse. To combat this we must hold officers accountable for their actions. Qualified immunity deters the people from pursuing justice and reinforces the narrative that police can do no wrong. Limiting police power helps alleviate police brutality and holds police accountable for wrongdoings.

However, criminal justice reform is not limited to policing; bail is a leading factor in America's mass incarceration problem. Bail is an inherently classist system that benefits corporate entities at the expense of underprivileged people. A large percentage of jail inmates have yet to face trial and are only there because they are unable to pay. This fact also leads to many resorting to a plea bargain in exchange for freedom. Not only does this disproportionally affect people of color but it also puts a long-lasting scar on their record that may affect their career prospects and housing opportunities. We should replace bail and jail time with treatment programs. This guarantees that people of lower socioeconomic status aren't exploited and it gives them access to treatment.

Next, we need to reform how inmates return to their communities. Many who have served their time are provided little to no opportunities to change, so they return into the cycle. We rely heavily on punishment as a solution and a deterrence to crime, when this is simply not the case. Punishment, especially for nonviolent crimes, does not serve as a deterrence; rehabilitation is very much needed to give inmates the opportunities to change and better themselves, especially in cases of nonviolent offenses. By switching the narrative from punishment to rehabilitation we can begin to start changing cycles of abuse within the prison system. By giving former inmates the chance and resources to start anew, we will finally see actual change.

Lastly, we must also be aware of the harms done by the school-to-prison pipeline. The logic we use to run prisons is the same being used on Black children in schools. Studies have shown that Black students are more likely to receive harsher punishments than their peers for the same offenses. Along with no-tolerance policies and an influx in detention officers, it is no surprise that Black students' chances of succeeding in school are severely restricted. We must eliminate policies like zero tolerance because they don't allow students to learn from their mistakes and instead hurt their chances of succeeding in school.

Addressing criminal justice as a systemic problem is crucial when creating new reform policies. We must realize that all these same issues and situations will come up again and again if we don't direct our efforts into systemic reform. Ultimately it is these same institutions that are the causes of racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Things like excessive bail fees and over-policing target lower-income communities and compromise their ability to pursue justice. Zero-tolerance policies in schools directly affect only the most disadvantaged students and significantly hurt their chances of succeeding in school. Our reliance on punishment as deterrence ruins rehabilitation efforts. We need to start addressing these key issues now, or the cycles of injustice will continue.

Elhan Omar lives in Minneapolis.