Thanks a million, @RachelBarkow, for chatting with me criminal law students about #CJReform on Tuesday! They had a blast, and so did I.
Here's my summary of a few key takeaways from Rachel's presentation... /1
Here's my summary of a few key takeaways from Rachel's presentation... /1
1st, mass incarceration is not only cruel toward criminal defendants; it's also counterproductive from a public safety perspective.
Almost all incarcerated persons will one day be released into the community. Yet jail + prison are awful at rehabilitation and
recidivism. /2
Almost all incarcerated persons will one day be released into the community. Yet jail + prison are awful at rehabilitation and

2nd, "penal populism" is a key driver of mass incarceration.
Enflamed by demagogic politicians and sensationalistic journalism, voters over the past half-century have consistently favored increased harshness and steady expansion of the criminal punishment bureaucracy. /3
Enflamed by demagogic politicians and sensationalistic journalism, voters over the past half-century have consistently favored increased harshness and steady expansion of the criminal punishment bureaucracy. /3
3rd, to reverse these trends, we need data-driven, politically insulated institutions to help make policy decisions in this space.
This involves taking policy-setting power away from prosecutors, and entrusting it to experts, courts, and those most affected by criminal law. /end
This involves taking policy-setting power away from prosecutors, and entrusting it to experts, courts, and those most affected by criminal law. /end
"me" = "my"
Or perhaps I meant "me and my"?
Or perhaps I meant "me and my"?