What were the most significant criminal justice stories and trends of 2014? Which person had the most significant impact?
In a year overshadowed by the unfolding tragedy of Ferguson, the country came face to face with long-festering issues that challenged some of our principal institutions of justice—police, prisons, courts—as well as our core principles of fairness and equity.
For The Crime Report's fourth annual year-end feature, TCR staff, columnists and contributors have come up with a preliminary list of the stories or developments that, in our judgment, have had a critical impact on the criminal justice landscape this year. We've also identified a handful of key players whose work or actions during 2014 were especially noteworthy.
But since our readers represent some of the nation's most well-informed observers and practitioners in the criminal justice field, we are asking for your input as well. Below is a list of 15 choices we've identified, along with a short explanation of our reasons. Please check up to ten of your own choices of top stories. Feel free to add comments, and we'll be happy to publish them (anonymously if you prefer).
Similarly, please choose up to two newsmakers from the second list whom you believe had a major impact in 2014, and/or will bear watching in 2015.
And if you aren't satisfied with the choices, we've left space for you to “write in” a story or person you think we've overlooked.
Please send in your replies by 5 pm Eastern Standard Time Friday, December 5. The final results will be published on TCR the week of December 8.
Just to refresh your memory, here are the top ten stories and top newsmakers who made TCR's year-end list for 2013.
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