Tag: criminal justice
The death penalty has no place in a civilized society
December 22, 2023 | Post
While the use of the death penalty by authoritarian regimes is not surprising, what can be said for its use in countries that claim to be free societies?
A tragic irony lies in the contradiction of a so-called free society embracing a barbaric practice that fundamentally defies the very essence of freedom — the state’s ability to make an irreversible decision on whether an individual should live or die.
Biden’s pardon of those convicted of marijuana possession is a huge step
October 7, 2022 | Post
President Biden has made the momentous decision to issue a pardon for all those convicted under federal law for possession of marijuana. This long overdue course of action is a huge step in the right direction.
Attorney voucher programs and criminal justice reform
April 22, 2022 | Post
If attorney voucher programs were in effect, they would decrease incarceration rates, making it more difficult to convict people for victimless crimes.
Civil asset forfeiture: resist, reform, repeal
March 15, 2017 | Post
Whether you’re on the right or the left, if you care about civil rights, property rights, or liberty, abolishing civil asset forfeiture should be high on your agenda.
42 percent of “terrorism-related” convictions aren’t for terrorism
March 7, 2017 | Post
The administration’s revised travel ban still misses the mark.
The right to hope for jury nullification
March 2, 2017 | Post
Jae Lee came to the United States legally as a child but never became a citizen. In 2009, he pled guilty to a drug crime after his lawyer assured him that he could not be deported as a result. The lawyer was wrong, because the conviction made Lee subject to mandatory removal. When Lee learned […]
Why even mass-murdering white supremacists, like Dylann Roof, should not receive the death penalty
February 16, 2017 | Post
If ever there were a strong candidate for the death penalty, it would seem to be Dylann Roof.
Advice from cops: Don’t talk to cops
January 31, 2017 | Post
All over this country, prison cells are filled with innocent people falsely convicted for crimes they did not commit, and many of them will spend the rest of their lives regretting the day they agreed to talk to the police.
Why do gangs rule American prisons?
December 16, 2016 | Post
Before 1950, prison gangs didn’t even exist. Now, they control much of inmates’ daily lives —and not just on the inside.
If you support legalizing weed, you should also support legalizing crack
November 2, 2016 | Post
The logic for legalizing marijuana holds true for legalizing “hard drugs” as well.
Every 25 seconds: Human Rights Watch and the ACLU document more harms from drug prohibition
October 26, 2016 | Post
A new report from the ACLU and Human Rights Watch details many of the harms associated with the criminalization of drug possession. The most striking finding from the report is that police in the United States arrest more people for marijuana offenses than for all violent crimes combined. The title of the report, “Every 25 […]
Advocates of limited government should oppose the death penalty
October 19, 2016 | Post
Most arguments in favor of the death penalty fold under their own weight.
Improving Grand Juries
September 30, 2016 | Post
The ballooning prison population in the U.S. implies that there’s a certain ease of obtaining an indictment from grand juries. Here are some modest proposals to reform grand juries to make obtaining indictments more difficult.
Grand Jury Nullification
September 26, 2016 | Post
Just as the police and the District Attorney use discretion in determining to arrest or seek an indictment against someone, jurors too can use discretion in determining whether to hand down an indictment.
Criminal Justice Reform's Big Win in The Release of Weldon Angelos
August 31, 2016 | Post
Weldon Angelos’ release from prison is a high-water mark for criminal justice reform advocates and a sign that maybe the tide is turning against the prison industrial complex and the policies that produce it
What You Need to Know About the Justice Department Prison Announcement
August 22, 2016 | Post
The DOJ’s announcement to discontinue the use of private prisons only affects about 16% of federal prisoners.
A History of Police Militarization
July 18, 2016 | Post
The recent and ongoing protests in major American cities like Dallas, Phoenix, Baton Rouge, and St. Paul have brought disheartening images to our TVs. While we mourn the death of five police officers in Dallas, it is noteworthy that the assailant was killed by a robot manufactured by Northrup Grumman, a war manufacturer. Though the […]
How the Presidential Frontrunners Plan to Win the War on Drugs
June 24, 2016 | Post
In addition to voting for state and local candidates this Election Day, voters in 14 states will be asked about legalizing marijuana. Reducing marijuana prohibition would be a major step toward ending the “war on drugs,” the government’s campaign against drug usage in the United States. Related: The War on Drugs, Part 1 Declaring a […]
Officer Nero Is Acquitted in Freddie Gray Case, Americans Left with Unresolved Questions
May 24, 2016 | Post
Last April, the entire nation watched in shock and horror as the city of Baltimore descended into flames and police militarized against protesters who were demonstrating against the arrest and death of Freddie Gray. It started with a foot chase through a Baltimore neighborhood on April 12, 2015. Police claimed that they had first confronted Gray […]
The Criminal Justice System is Turning Martin Luther King’s Dream Into a Nightmare
January 25, 2016 | Post
Americans across the country celebrated the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. this week. And while this is an opportunity to remember all that MLK has done for the civil rights movement, it’s also a chance to reflect on the progress that still needs to be made. Exhibit A: the criminal justice system. In the […]
Featured On Demand Program of the Week: Vice City
December 21, 2015 | Post
In this new On Demand series professors Peter Jaworski, Aeon Skoble and Daniel D’Amico will take you on a journey into the world of government regulation of all things vices. You’ll explore how government deregulation of craft beers has helped reshape the entire industry and how alcohol laws in Virginia actually do the opposite of […]