The Political Dynamics of Justice Reform in The U.S.
The Political Dynamics of Justice Reform in The U.S.
The Political Dynamics of Justice Reform in The U.S.
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Some places are do<strong>in</strong>g better than others. Montgomery County, Maryland, put a jobtra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
center <strong>in</strong>side the prison walls to give folks a head start <strong>in</strong> th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g about “what<br />
might you do otherwise” than committ<strong>in</strong>g crimes. That’s a good idea. Here’s another<br />
good idea, one with bipartisan support <strong>in</strong> Congress: let’s reward prisoners with reduced<br />
sentences if they complete programs that make them less likely to commit a repeat<br />
<strong>of</strong>fense. Let’s <strong>in</strong>vest <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>novative new approaches to l<strong>in</strong>k former prisoners with<br />
employers, help them stay on track.<br />
Let’s follow the grow<strong>in</strong>g number <strong>of</strong> our states and cities and private companies who<br />
have decided to ban the box on job applications so that former prisoners who have<br />
done their time and are now try<strong>in</strong>g to get straight with society have a decent shot with a<br />
job <strong>in</strong>terview. And if folks have served their time, and they have reentered society, they<br />
should be able to vote. (See “Felony Disenfranchisement”)<br />
________<br />
<strong>The</strong> Marshall Project<br />
Nonpr<strong>of</strong>it Journalism About Crim<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Justice</strong><br />
19 September 2018<br />
This Agency Tried to Fix the Race Gap <strong>in</strong> Juvenile <strong>Justice</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n Came Trump<br />
A new presidential appo<strong>in</strong>tee has quietly changed decades-old federal policies<br />
meant to improve racial disparities <strong>in</strong> youth <strong>in</strong>carceration.<br />
For two decades, the number <strong>of</strong> children beh<strong>in</strong>d bars <strong>in</strong> the U.S. has been on the<br />
decl<strong>in</strong>e—but the racial disparity has been dramatically worsen<strong>in</strong>g, with black youth<br />
several times more likely than their white counterparts to be <strong>in</strong>carcerated.<br />
A little-known <strong>Justice</strong> Department agency is supposed to tackle this problem: the Office<br />
<strong>of</strong> Juvenile <strong>Justice</strong> and Del<strong>in</strong>quency Prevention, which has been mandated by<br />
Congress s<strong>in</strong>ce 1988 to try to shr<strong>in</strong>k the racial gap by provid<strong>in</strong>g grants and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to<br />
local juvenile courts and law enforcement agencies. In return, states receiv<strong>in</strong>g federal<br />
dollars must gather data on <strong>in</strong>equality, explore why it’s happen<strong>in</strong>g and pursue solutions.<br />
But with an appo<strong>in</strong>tee <strong>of</strong> President Trump at the helm, the <strong>of</strong>fice has taken a quiet but<br />
decisive turn away from that mandate.<br />
Under new adm<strong>in</strong>istrator Caren Harp, who took <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>in</strong> January, the agency is<br />
essentially dissolv<strong>in</strong>g its research arm—which had been the only federal team regularly<br />
compil<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>formation on racial patterns <strong>in</strong> juvenile arrests and <strong>in</strong>carceration.<br />
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