Fair and Just Prosecution is lifting up the voices and innovations of an exciting new generation of prosecutors. Included below are some of the many op eds and articles highlighting the innovative thinking and thoughtful approaches being advanced by these recently elected leaders. To receive FJP’s updates on news and articles, sign up here.
“If Lawmakers Don’t Give Former Inmates a Second Chance, They Will Be Defying the Will of Floridians”
Safe communities require a commitment to second chances where access to resources and rights like education, employment, housing and voting are not restricted because of a prior conviction. In this Miami Herald op-ed, State Attorneys Kathy Fernandez Rundle (Miami-Dade County, FL) and Andrew Warren (Hillsborough County, FL) along with FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky weigh in on why voting rights restoration is key to successful reentry and meaningful second chances and how Florida’s Amendment 4 is critical to expanding opportunity for the 1.4 million Floridians with past convictions.
“If we want to create and sustain communities that thrive, we need a criminal justice system that not only encourages people who have broken the law to make amends, but also ensures they have an opportunity to lead productive lives with dignity when they reenter their community.”
“Wrongful Convictions Are Disturbingly Common, and Prosecutors Have Duty To Fix Injustice”
In this USA Today op-ed, FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky shares how shockingly common wrongful convictions are and why we need a mechanism to address claims of innocence and remedy cases where the integrity of the process has been compromised. Additionally, she recounts the human toll of wrongful convictions, lessons learned from these cases, and the vital importance of conviction review units as a vehicle for change.
“Wrongful convictions happen, and prosecutors have an affirmative duty to pursue justice when they do.”
“In Maryland, Justice Should Work Backward and Forward”
A growing national movement of prosecutors recognize that their duty to pursue justice demands consideration of both future and past decisions. In a Washington Post op-ed, District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky discuss the urgency and necessity of mechanisms that enable prosecutors to correct past injustices, spotlighting the recent example of hundreds of convictions in Maryland tainted by deeply troubling police misconduct.
“As ‘ministers of justice’ with powerful discretion to pursue whatever path would lead to just results, prosecutors have a clarion call to remedy past wrongdoing.”
“Science—and the Law—Says Don’t Try Juveniles as Adults”
Recognition of youth development and young people’s tremendous capacity for change is a simple starting point that has failed to be consistently applied for children whose lives are touched by the criminal justice system. Harsh punitive practices deny far too many children the opportunity for rehabilitation and in the long run undermine public safety. In a San Francisco Chronicle op-ed, FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky, former East Palo Alto Police Chief Ron Davis and former Orange County Senior Deputy District Attorney Brian Gurwitz weigh in on California’s important juvenile justice reforms that prevent youth below the age of 16 from being prosecuted in the adult justice system.
“Treat kids like kids. It’s not only good common sense, but good public policy.”
“Baltimore Prosecutor Makes ‘Bold and Groundbreaking’ Decision Regarding Marijuana Arrests”
Criminalizing marijuana use promotes racial disparities, erodes trust in the justice system and diverts resources that could be better spent addressing and solving serious crime. In a Baltimore Sun op-ed, FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky and former Police Chief Brendan Cox applaud Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s efforts to repair the damage done by decades of the “war on drugs” and discuss her groundbreaking decision to no longer prosecute marijuana possession cases, divert all first-time felony distribution cases and vacate nearly 5,000 past convictions.
“These reforms are the essence of smart justice.”
“Prosecutor Power #7: Strength in Numbers”
Tune in to New Thinking, a podcast from the Center for Court Innovation, to hear FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky and CCI’s Matthew Watkins discuss the recent wave of elected prosecutors who are creating a new normal in prosecution. This latest episode is part of an ongoing series exploring the power of prosecutors and the ability of reform-minded DAs to transform the justice system. Hear more about the current state of prosecutorial reform, how local elected prosecutors are enhancing accountability and redefining what justice looks like, and innovative practices by prosecutors committed to building healthy and safe communities.
“[Newly elected DAs] have the wind of reform at their back. They were elected by communities that want to see things done differently.” – MIRIAM KRINSKY, FJP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
