Category: CRJ302 Community & CJ

Vital City | Want to Fix the Subway? Stop Asking It To Be What It’s Not

It’s a New York tradition for politicians to refer to the subway system as “the lifeblood of the city” and the “economic engine of our region.” They’re right, but they’re hardly stepping out on a ledge: The New York City subway is the largest in North America, moving millions of people each day and allowing the city to generate billions in economic activity. The system is inarguably the most important entity in the city — more important than any roadway, bridge, financial institution, single employer or other economic driver. 
— Read on www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/want-to-fix-the-subway-stop-asking-it-to-be-something-its-not

Radical Civil Service Reform Is Not Radical | Manhattan Institute

For decades politicians and commentators have bemoaned the state of the federal civil service. There are widespread complaints that the system fails to reward good performers and punish bad ones and that it does not nimbly respond to social needs. President Donald Trump’s and the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to dismiss federal employees and […]
— Read on manhattan.institute/article/radical-civil-service-reform-is-not-radical-lessons-for-the-federal-government-from-the-states

States that impose severe prison sentences accomplish the opposite of what they say they want

Research shows that imposing longer sentences harms inmates and society. There are less expensive − and more effective − ways to hold people accountable and help them prepare for life after prison.
— Read on theconversation.com/states-that-impose-severe-prison-sentences-accomplish-the-opposite-of-what-they-say-they-want-247550

Certainty as a foundation for justice – Niskanen Center

Certainty of punishment is not only a tool of deterrence but a structural necessity for an effective justice system. When consequences are clear and predictable, many offenders avoid crime, while those who persist reveal themselves to need more intensive responses.
— Read on www.niskanencenter.org/certainty-as-a-foundation-for-justice/

Legitimacy Policing In Depth | RAND

Law enforcement officers are more effectively able to carry out their duties and responsibilities if they are perceived as having legitimate authority by the citizenry that they serve. Members of the community are more likely to follow the law (Tyler, 2006; Jackson et al., 2012) and to cooperate with police (Tyler and Fagan, 2008) when they believe that the laws, and the officers enforcing them, are legitimate. Improving relations with the community not only improves legitimacy; it is also a core objective of policing in its own right, as identified by panels of subject-matter experts on policing (Hollywood et al., 2015, pp. 12–13; Hollywood et al., 2017, pp. 36–37).
— Read on www.rand.org/pubs/tools/TL261/better-policing-toolkit/all-strategies/legitimacy-policing/in-depth.html