Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s recent photo-op at a Walmart highlights the need for a nuanced approach to addressing crime in LA County, rather than a simplistic “law-and-order” approach that prioritizes corporate interests over public safety.
— Read on davisvanguard.org/2025/04/los-angeles-da-attorney-retail-theft/
Tag: Criminal Justice System
Why the St. Louis Jail Reflects City’s Deepest Struggles | The Marshall Project
A facility built for progress reflects ‘decades of neglect’ and the city’s deepest struggles, from mental illness to systemic dysfunction.
— Read on www.themarshallproject.org/2025/04/21/st-louis-justice-center-jail-reform
Exclusive | New York’s parole board stacked with lefty cronies earning $190K
The real issue is how the parole board members follow their personal agendas.
A Post examination of the 16-member panel — whose salaries have skyrocketed 87% since 2019 and who have freed 43 cop killers in the past eight years — is almost as disturbing as many of its decisions.
— Read on nypost.com/2025/04/12/us-news/new-yorks-parole-board-stacked-with-lefty-cronies-earning-190k/
10 Years Ago, Baltimore Cops Killed Freddie Gray. Here’s How the City Rose Up. | Truthout
Organizers, journalists, students, and others involved in the uprising reflect on its impact and where things stand now.
— Read on truthout.org/articles/10-years-ago-baltimore-cops-killed-freddie-gray-heres-how-the-city-rose-up/
Why Won’t Lawmakers Fix New York’s Catastrophic Discovery Reform?
Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal is marooned in budget negotiations.
— Read on www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-governor-kathy-hochul-discovery-reform-budget
The State of Policing, Five Years After George Floyd
Law enforcement has come out of a period of severe criticism with more support than ever. Departments still face many challenges though, most notably hiring enough officers.
— Read on www.governing.com/magazine/the-state-of-policing-five-years-after-george-floyd
How New York, Louisiana, Others Rewind Reform on Bail, Juvenile Justice, More | The Marshall Project
But some states are still considering some proposals to reduce excessive sentencing or expand parole.
— Read on www.themarshallproject.org/2025/03/29/new-york-louisiana-crime-new-mexico
The Effectiveness and Implications of Police Reform: A Review of the Literature | ICJIA
Repeated and deadly encounters between law enforcement officers and Black Americans have given way to mounting calls for police reform. Reformers have proposed reallocating funds from policing to communities and social services, rethinking police use of force policies, and improving measures for officer accountability. This literature review briefly describes the impetus for police reform, reviews proposed police reforms, and examines available research on the effectiveness of police reforms. Overall, research indicates police agencies should not only focus on reducing crime, but also protecting and fostering the relationship between the public and police.
— Read on icjia.illinois.gov/
Four Years After ‘Reimagining Public Safety,’ Reform Comes Slowly to Ithaca – The Cornell Daily Sun
Some Ithacans are frustrated with the pace of change of resolutions addressing police reform and racial inequality, four years after public safety was “reimagined” by Ithaca’s Common Council.
— Read on www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/03/gvifsvojhsdv
Youth in Adult Courts, Jails, and Prisons – The Sentencing Project
Overview
At the turn of the 21st century, it was estimated that 250,000 children every year were charged as adults in the United States. By 2019, that number had dropped 80% to 53,000. This drop is to be celebrated and is the result of legislative changes in 44 states and the District of Columbia, as well as federal funding incentives. However, there is still much work to be done.
The children that remain exposed to the adult criminal legal system are overwhelmingly youth of color. The vast majority serve short sentences in adult jail or prison and return home by their 21st birthdays, the age at which services can be extended to in the youth justice system in the vast majority of states; indicating that many youth could be served, more appropriately, by the youth justice system.
— Read on www.sentencingproject.org/reports/youth-in-adult-courts-jails-and-prisons/
Future of Policing 