In addition to granting clemency to 46 drug offenders in federal prisons, President Barack Obama mapped out a plan to reform the criminal justice system, which disproportionately incarcerates black and Latino men.

Although the U.S. comprises about 5 percent of the world's total population, it also houses about 25 percent of the world's prisoners. As a result, this has hurt communities of color since almost 1-in-12 black men ages 25-54 are imprisoned, compared to 1-in-60 non-black men in that age group. Furthermore, once the men are released, their records make it hard for them to find jobs, housing and vote.

To fix this crisis, President Obama has proposed a strategy that would reduce the mass incarceration of black and brown Americans and rehabilitate prisoners to reduce recidivism.

"Our criminal justice system isn't as smart as it should be. It's not keeping us as safe as we should be. It is not as fair as it should be. We need to do something about it," Obama said Tuesday in a speech before the NAACP convention in Philadelphia, according to ABC News.

One of the changes that the president has proposed is reducing or even eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes. In turn, this would give prosecutors more discretion over what kinds of punishment to seek.

During a news conference at the White House on Wednesday, Obama stated in many nonviolent drug crimes, "the sentencing is completely out of proportion with the crime," which costs taxpayer money, reports The New York Times.

Obama has also called for initiatives to offer job training behind bars along with opportunities for work and rehabilitation after release.

"Our prisons should be a place where we can train people for skills that can help them find a job, not train them to become more hardened criminals," Obama told the NAACP. "We have to make sure that as they do their time and pay back their debt to society, that we are increasing the possibility that they can turn their lives around."

The Obama administration is also backing legislation introduced in the Senate that serves to boost job, education and housing programs.

In the meantime, the president has pushed to reinstate former inmates' right to vote and supported the "Ban the Box" movement to remove criminal history questions on job applications. He also said jokes about prison and prison rape should not be tolerated.

"We should not be tolerating overcrowding in prison. We should not be tolerating gang activity in prison. We should not be tolerating rape in prison. And we shouldn't be making jokes about it in our popular culture. That's no joke. These things are unacceptable," he said Tuesday.

Obama also said another method to combat the growing prison system is to execute proven prevention programs like early childhood education and community policing programs.