The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/category/viewpoints/)
Most experts agree that having an incarcerated parent puts children at a physical, behavioral and educational disadvantage. But the especially harmful impact on kids whose fathers are behind bars —and on the dads themselves—is largely ignored by the criminal justice system, write two RTI International social science researchers.
A recent legal settlement that won compensation for indigents denied the right to legal counsel in two South Carolina jurisdictions could ensure Sixth Amendment protections in municipal proceedings across the state—and elsewhere, argues one of the ACLU lawyers involved in the case.
A Senate bill proposes restoring federal funding to help imprisoned individuals further their education. Passing it would correct one of the damaging consequences of the 1994 crime bill, write two R Street researchers.
The federal government is expected to propose a tougher policy against e-cigarettes within the next few weeks. But it may end up further accelerating the use of black-market THC-laced vape pens that are believed to be a factor in the outbreak of illnesses and deaths among users, warns a health writer.
A pair of New Zealand programs that involve tribal communities in setting parameters for punishment and rehabilitation offer useful models for U.S. policymakers hoping to dismantle mass incarceration, reports the co-director of Columbia University’s Justice Lab.
The Supreme Court, backed by research, has ruled that polygraph tests can’t be used as conclusive proof of guilt or innocence. They never caught, for example, convicted spy Aldrich Ames. So why do the FBI and other security agencies still use them in their hiring procedures?
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently decided to study the feasibility of a “Civil Defense Justice Unit” to protect the rights of justice-involved in civil proceedings. They should expand that to protect victims’ rights as well, writes the president of LA’s Association of Deputy District Attorneys.
Sen. Harris’ recent justice reform plan called for a federal board to review incidents involving police use-of-force against civilians and other “severe” misconduct. It’s a good idea, but the devil is in the details, warns TCR’s legal affairs columnist.
Mass violence events cause terrible trauma, tragedy and shock. But it’s possible to build “resilience” by learning from the different responses some communities have made, according to the National Police Foundation.
On the 25th anniversary of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, politicians and policymakers should commit to reversing the “tough on crime” strategies that brought it into being, says the director of the ACLU’s Justice Division.