Criminal Justice
Accidental Felons: The Unwitting Criminal Activity of Average Americans
According to attorney Harvey Silverglate, the average American inadvertently commits three arguable felonies in a given day. How is possible that Americans could commit so many felonies without knowing it? Consider this: The U.S. Code—the consolidation of our country’s laws and regulations, broken down into sections such as agriculture (Title 7), banking (Title 11), public […]
January 25, 2016
Civil Asset Forfeiture in New Hampshire: Time for Reform?
A little-known policing practice called civil asset forfeiture came under considerable public scrutiny in 2015 and was subject to a number of notable reforms from the Department of Justice and in several state governments. Civil asset forfeiture is employed by federal, state, and local authorities to seize property without necessarily beginning criminal proceedings against an […]
January 9, 2016
Criminal Justice Reform in 60 Seconds
Criminal justice reform is a vast issue area with dozens of concerns, both federal and local, that need reform. To begin, Stand Together Trust is focusing its attention on six specific areas of concern. In our “In 60 Seconds” video series Vikrant Reddy, senior research fellow focusing on criminal justice reform, explains each area and offers initial steps for […]
November 7, 2015
Advancing Justice: The Next Steps
Advancing Justice attendees departed New Orleans today after a generative summit that has identified opportunities for reform, highlighted gaps in research that deserve support, and helped form new alliances and strengthen existing coalitions for criminal justice and policing reform. A prominent message during plenary panels yesterday evening and this morning was how different media can […]
November 6, 2015
Creating a Culture of Change: Telling the Stories of Reform
During this panel, three filmmakers discussed the role of culture and narrative in shaping views and influencing criminal justice reform. Scott Budnick, who produced The Hangover series before founding the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, argued that films can influence public opinion as well as public policy by deliberately crafting a story and characters that are sympathetic. He explained that […]
November 6, 2015
Advancing Criminal Justice Reform in 2016 and Beyond
This panel focused on the messaging and issue choices necessary for achieving meaningful criminal justice reform in 2016. Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, began by explaining that though conservatives have supported “tough on crime” policies in the past, they are now realizing that skepticism of government’s ability to solve problems should extend to […]
November 6, 2015
The Militarization of Police
Policing in the United States has grown and changed over hundreds of years. Here’s why the militarization of police doesn’t necessarily keep us safer.
November 5, 2015
What is Civil Asset Forfeiture?
Civil asset forfeiture is a practice that allows law enforcement to seize property and take possession of it based merely on the belief that the property may have been involved in a crime.
November 5, 2015
Justice Delivered: Protecting Liberty and Gideon’s Legacy
Moderator Phyllis Mann, senior program associate at the Sixth Amendment Center, began the conversation on “Gideon’s Legacy” by noting that the promise of Gideon v. Wainwright—that a person would never go to jail without the assistance of counsel—is unfulfilled almost 50 years later. She then asked the panelists to describe how the public defense system […]
November 5, 2015
To Protect and Serve: The Militarization of Police
Police militarization—the adoption of military practices by civilian police—is charged with breeding hostility and distrust between police and communities, as well as enabling the violation of individual rights. This panel examined the effects of increasingly militarized police tactics, gear, and mindset on public safety, the rule of law, and the relationship between law enforcement and […]
November 5, 2015