“Fear of Reprisals Threatens Independence of Public Defenders and Erodes Right to Counsel”
MARCH 4, 2020 – A defendant’s right to competent and independent counsel is a fundamental part of the fabric of our nation’s justice system. It is integral to our adversarial system and ensures that individuals facing loss of liberty are on an even playing field. This constitutional right was put in jeopardy, however, when the County Board of Commissioners in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania fired the two leaders of the Montgomery County Public Defender Office shortly after they filed an amicus brief recounting injustice in the county’s bail practices. In this Legal Intelligencer op-ed , National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Executive Director Norman L. Reimer and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky discuss this deeply troubling event and why we must protect the independence of public defenders.
“The integrity of our criminal legal system depends upon the willingness of defenders who work within it to be advocates in every sense – for individual clients and also for a system that is systematically fair and just.”
“On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, remember: America’s justice system still enforces racial oppression”
JAN. 19, 2020 – Reckoning with America’s history of white supremacy and acknowledging the unbroken thread between slavery, racially-motivated terrorism and mass incarceration is at the foundation of building a just and equitable future. In this Salon op-ed, Marshan Allen, board member of the Campaign for Fair Sentencing of Youth and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky describe the moving journey to Alabama with dozens of DAs and leaders from the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network. From the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice to other civil rights sites in Montgomery and Selma, the lessons learned will be invaluable as a new generation of DAs seek to transform the justice system.
“A deep and honest look at who we have been and still are as a country is required to emerge as the country we want to be.”
Recent Baltimore exonerations shed light on the need for reforming youth interrogation practices
NOV. 27, 2019 – A staggering 86% of convictions of individuals later exonerated for crimes that occurred before they turned 14 are based on false confessions, often obtained through coercive interrogation tactics. In this Washington Post op-ed, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky discuss why such tactics must end and why reforms are needed in the questioning of young people to protect the integrity of the justice system.
“Prosecutors have a duty to administer justice with integrity. When a tragic injustice occurs, we must work to ensure those mistakes never happen again.”
“A prosecutors’ leadership retreat in Berlin offers a stark reminder to remain vigilant”
NOV. 1, 2019 – Courageous leadership requires disrupting norms and taking a stand. As fear-based narratives and efforts to marginalize some of the most vulnerable in our community are mounting, we need a new generation of leaders who are unwilling to remain silent in the face of erosion of rights and liberties. Some elected prosecutors are stepping up to this challenge. In this ABA Journal op-ed, FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky shares the personal journey that sparked her commitment to prosecutorial reform and weighs in on how elected prosecutors can take bold action to protect our system of justice and the rights of all.
“Assaults on truth and fairness can only succeed if leaders, and all of us, are enablers.”
“Millions of Children Lose Their Parents To Incarceration. That Doesn’t Have To Happen.”
OCT. 24, 2019 – One out of every 28 children has a parent who is currently incarcerated and one in four black children will have their father incarcerated by the time they turn 14. That’s millions ofchildren not only experiencing the pain and stigma of having a parent behind bars, but also the myriad adverse consequences that come along with it. In an op-ed in The Appeal, We Got Us Now Founder and CEO Ebony Underwood and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky discuss the role prosecutors can play in revisiting past excessive sentences, recommending noncustodial and community-based sentences for parents whenever possible, and advancing policies that keep families connected when loved ones are behind bars.
“Every time we incarcerate someone, new victims are created who are rarely acknowledged: the children, families and loved ones of those incarcerated.”