The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/category/reforming-the-system/)
The victories of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who won her bid for re-election, George Gascon in Los Angeles and Jose Garza in Austin, Tx., reflected slow but steady support for prosecutors bent on changing the “tough on crime” approach that has driven mass incarceration. But they still represent a small percentage of prosecutors.
Examples include creating more green space in neighborhoods, strengthening nonviolent social norms, and providing more structure for youth, according to a recent review published by the John Jay Research and Evaluation Center. These interventions have not only reduced violence; they are also cost-effective and sustainable.
According to a new Pretrial Justice Institute report, extensive data prove that risk assessment instruments (RAIs) used on individuals seeking release pretrial are inherently flawed. They don’t accurately predict flight risk or violent crime offense risk, and are making assessments with biased data.
“I actually think the winning argument was you can be for law and order, and you can be for second chances,” said Holly Harris of the Justice Action Network.
Prosecutorial races and referendum ballots around the nation demonstrated support for some reform trends, such as pot legalization, but also delivered some setbacks to those hoping for broader change, according to experts assembled by the Council on Criminal Justice think tank. Justice reform still has a “long way to go,” said former California Gov. Jerry Brown.
The Council on Criminal Justice panel will evaluate two dozen commonly proposed reforms aimed at preventing police use of excessive force, reducing racial biases, increasing police accountability, and improving the relationship between law enforcement and the communities it serves.
Countering police claims that people released on bail helped drive an increase in shootings, a Loyola University study argues that a key factor may be the “stress” produced by the pandemic.
No one should be sent back to prison for a “technical” violation of the terms of probation and parole, a bipartisan group of over 50 current and former District Attorneys and state Attorneys General declared Thursday as part of a statement calling for a fundamental transformation of community supervision in the U.S.
The King County Council in Seattle approved funding for a groundbreaking criminal justice diversion program that will let community groups decide what punishment — if any — should be handed out for a select group of accused felons.
The Prison Policy Initiative looked at data from four states and nine cities and counties which have eliminated or reformed the money bail system to explore the impact of the measures on crime rates. Here’s what it found.