Stories

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 […]

This panel highlighted the need to reform criminal sentencing laws. Arizona State University law professor Erik Luna began by discussing the history of mandatory minimum sentences in the United States, noting how major sentencing reforms begun in the 1970s and ’80s were based on a belief that disparities in sentencing were incredibly wide. This animating principle was […]

This morning, summit attendees heard from Judge Richard Nygaard and Judge Ricardo Hinojosa regarding the range of problems affecting our criminal justice system. The conversation ranged from how federal sentencing guidelines came about to mandatory minimums to overcriminalization to the need for measures that prevent crime before it arises, in particular for youth in impoverished […]

Last night Stand Together Trust began its three-day summit, Advancing Justice: An Agenda for Human Dignity & Public Safety. Nearly 500 attendees from more than 300 non-profit organizations have gathered in New Orleans for this event, which promises to be full of debate, discussion, and plans of action regarding criminal justice and policing reform. Brian Hooks, president of […]

This afternoon’s sessions began with a viewing of a short film about the Prison Entrepreneurship Program, which set the tone for a major theme of the afternoon’s discussions: how different communities can foster progress for criminal justice and policing reform. During the first plenary panel of the afternoon, “An Opportunity Agenda: The Business Community’s Role […]

This panel examined policy alternatives to incarceration, discussing a range of programs that can both serve as alternatives to pretrial incarceration and facilitate re-entry and rehabilitation for those who have been incarcerated. Laurie Garduque, director of justice reform at the MacArthur Foundation, spoke about a recent initiative confronting the overuse of local jails to incarcerate […]

This panel highlighted the need for more data related to policing, sentencing, and corrections in order to assess the efficacy of current policies as well as the viability of new programs. Reporting requirements and data collection can illuminate which policies contribute to or detract from public safety, human dignity, and fiscal responsibility. William J. Sabol, […]

Stand Together Trust senior research fellow Vikrant Reddy opened this plenary panel session by pointing out that it is impossible to talk about re-entry without talking about the role of the business community. Without a job, ex-offenders are likely to wind up back in prison. The panelists noted that the business community has a significant […]

This panel treated civil asset forfeiture, a practice employed by law enforcement authorities to seize property without necessarily beginning criminal proceedings against the property holder. Panel members discussed how the practice represents a significant erosion of the property rights of ordinary citizens. John Malcolm, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Legislative and Judicial Studies, […]

This panel highlighted state-level sentencing and corrections reform successes that can act as models for other states considering criminal justice reform, or even for the federal government. Texas Public Policy Foundation senior fellow Jerry Madden started off by recounting the work that has been done in Texas. He emphasized the ability of state-level reforms to […]