Gov. Youngkin’s criminal justice reform spree puts politics over public safety
APRIL 9, 2024 – Last month, Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed reforms that would have brought Virginia’s criminal legal system in line with most states and other parts of the world. One bill would have restricted prosecutors from pursuing charges for kids under age 11, another would have allowed more discretion in the felony charging of people found with residual quantities of drugs, and a third would have allowed DACA recipients to be eligible for jobs in law enforcement. In USA Today, Arlington County & City of Falls Church Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley, and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky explain how these reforms align with best practices and would have improved public safety and community wellbeing.
“Youngkin has vetoed more bills in one session than any other Virginian governor in modern history, but his sweeping and questionable actions have generated little backlash aside… [We] cannot afford to be complacent with such decisions, nor can we accept leaders’ unwillingness to embrace effective, data-based policies. We must demand our leaders put people over politics.”
Prosecutors put Brenda Andrew’s gender on trial. Now, will Oklahoma execute her?
MARCH 22, 2024 – The Supreme Court is reviewing the case of an Oklahoma woman named Brenda Andrew, who was convicted and sentenced to death in 2004 for the murder of her husband – despite deeply disturbing sexism exhibited throughout her trial, ranging from eliciting testimony about her attractiveness to holding up her underwear in court. In The Oklahoman, FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky urges the Court to defend the integrity of the criminal legal system by condemning such egregious conduct and granting review of Ms. Andrews’ case.
“If this ‘pro-life’ Supreme Court allows a death sentence to be carried out when the conviction relies on such blatant sexism, it would set a dangerous precedent that maintaining a conviction – and especially one that leads to state-sanctioned murder – is more important than the constitutional guarantees to a fair trial and the constitutional rights of women.”
It’s time for state and local leaders to embrace overdose prevention centers
MARCH 18, 2024 – Overdose deaths in the U.S. have risen nearly 540% since 1999, underscoring the dire need for state and federal officials to embrace new approaches grounded in public health instead of continuing to pursue ineffective punitive policies. In an op-ed in VT Digger, Chittenden County (Burlington), VT State’s Attorney Sarah George, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky explain why leaders at all levels of government must support harm reduction strategies like overdose prevention sites to save lives and improve public safety for everyone.
“Punishment alone will not solve the overdose crisis. We need to change the trajectory, and Vermont can show the rest of the nation that overdose prevention centers are a proven and essential tool in our comprehensive efforts to end this epidemic.”
911 call scrutiny should not be used to identify suspects
FEB. 2, 2024 – In more than 100 cases across 26 states, police and prosecutors have used a new and questionable investigative method known as “911 call analysis” to determine criminal guilt based on the word choice and behavior of people calling 911 to report an emergency. In an op-ed in Law360, FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky and Innocence Project Forensic Science Policy Associate Isabelle Cohn explain why policymakers and public safety leaders must take action to prevent this unproven approach from ensnaring more innocent people in the criminal legal system.
“It’s alarming that so many in law enforcement are embracing this unscientific method that weaponizes the language used by people experiencing the worst moment of their lives against them…. Any one of us could need to call 911 for help in a moment of crisis. Doing so should never be a pathway to a wrongful conviction.”
Los Angeles cities are wrong to oppose bail reforms that make us safer
JAN. 30, 2024 – In 2023, L.A. County implemented a new bail policy that enables judges to decide whether an individual should be detained pretrial based on their risk to the community rather than their ability to post bail. Within days of the policy taking effect, a group of small cities sued the county in an effort to return to the failed status quo. In an op-ed in the Los Angeles Daily News, FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky explains why leaders across L.A. must embrace this long-overdue change to promote public safety and community well-being.
“When decisions are made based on public safety – instead of the size of an individual’s bank account – we can better serve the interests of justice, prevent future victimization, and reduce harm instead of exacerbating it. So, when leaders choose to spend resources and energy perpetuating fear about bail reform, they are choosing to protect a system that makes us less safe.”