Chauvin sentencing not enough. Police oversight must be put in the hands of the people.
JUNE 25, 2021 – Police accountability requires systemic change that goes far beyond the outcome of any individual conviction or sentence, and it should start with putting power in the hands of the people. In this USA Today op-ed, former Albany, NY Police Chief Brendan Cox and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky discuss why empowered civilian oversight of law enforcement is a critical step towards real police accountability and rebuilding community trust.
“[F]or police accountability to become the expectation and not the exception, we must put it in the hands of the people.”
DAs Warn Anti-Fraud Voting Laws Threaten Public Safety
JUNE 17, 2021 – Despite record turnout in the 2020 election and no evidence of any widespread voter fraud, legislatures in nearly every state have recently introduced or passed bills to restrict voting. In this op-ed in The Crime Report, Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Andrew Warren and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky discuss how these ongoing efforts to suppress the fundamental right to vote – including laws that criminalize voting – are a threat to public safety.
“After a year that saw an outpouring of support in the streets and at the ballot box for changes in our criminal legal system, the last thing we need is more unnecessary punishments that entangle people in the justice system and divert limited law enforcement and prosecutorial resources to address problems that simply don’t exist.”
Youth Justice Needs Specialized Training of Judges, Lawyers, Court Employees, and Courtroom Language that Doesn’t Demean
JUNE 7, 2021 – The way that adults and institutions respond to young people can have a tremendous impact on their short and long-term development, but too often young people who become involved in the court system are perceived, labeled and treated in ways that hinder, rather than support, their growth and development. In this JJIE op-ed, FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky and NJDC Executive Director Mary Ann Scali discuss the importance of specialization and training within juvenile and family court systems, the need for use of language that avoids stigmatizing and is sensitive to the trauma of development of young people, and how professionals in these spaces can support youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system.
“We want young people to succeed and thrive. For youth involved in the juvenile and family court systems, that begins by ensuring they are surrounded by legal professionals who are specialized and trained in the work they do and who can understand both developmentally appropriate adolescent behavior and adolescent responses to trauma they’ve endured.”
The Chauvin verdict is an important step forward but here’s why we must go further
MAY 4, 2021 – In the wake of the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky authored this MarketWatch op-ed acknowledging the efforts that led to Chauvin’s conviction, but also noting long overdue broader systemic changes needed to prevent police violence in the first place – including developing alternative ways of helping individuals experiencing mental health or substance-use-related crises, implementing community-based oversight organizations, and empowering prosecutors to investigate and prosecute instances of police misconduct.
“Punishment is not the same as justice or even accountability. Policing in the U.S. needs a systemic transformation.”
Get state, local law enforcement out of the immigration business
MAY 3, 2021 – Federal initiatives – including the 287g program – that entangle local law enforcement agencies in immigration activities undermine trust in the criminal legal system and make us all less safe. In this USA Today op-ed, Washtenaw County, MI Prosecuting Attorney Eli Savit, Charlottesville, VA Chief of Police Dr. RaShall M. Brackney, and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky discuss why the Biden administration should exercise its executive action authority and immediately end these programs.
“Federal immigration agents must do their jobs, just as local prosecutors and law enforcement must do theirs. However, mixing the two is not only a recipe for disaster for immigrant communities, but also for everyone with a stake in public safety.”