“California Killed Cash Bail. Now It’s Up To judges To Determine a Fair Replacement.”
In a Sacramento Bee op-ed about California’s recent elimination of cash bail, FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky and retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge LaDoris H. Cordell discuss uncertainties in the law and urge judicial leaders charged with implementation to develop safeguards that will guard against replicating the harms of cash bail.
“To avoid replacing one unjust [bail] system with another, the California judiciary must dedicate itself to presiding over a system that is fair and equal, and that dramatically reduces the population in county jails.”
“Serving Justice Includes Taking a Second Look at Past Convictions”
In this Kansas City Star op-ed, former Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky outline the importance of establishing mechanisms for prosecutors to review and correct past injustices. They applaud Wyandotte County (Kansas City, KS) DA Mark Dupree’s efforts to establish a Conviction Integrity Unit, noting that this is a best practice operating in more than 30 jurisdictions nationwide.
“The prosecutor’s core responsibility is to ensure that justice is served in every case.”
“Why Are We Sentencing Juveniles To Die In Prison? The Supreme Court Dropped the Ball.”
In this op-ed in USA Today, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, Director of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University Shay Bilchik and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky discuss the need for prosecutors to embrace the latest research on children and young adults who come into contact with the justice system and implement fair, evidence-based, and compassionate policies that give young people a second chance.
“The evidence is clear: Children and young adults are different, the justice system must do better,and prosecutors can lead the way.”
“San Joaquin Shows the Way to End Sheriff-Coroner System”
In a Sacramento Bee op-ed, San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar, former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper and FJP’s Executive Director Miriam Krinsky explain why it’s time for counties in California and other states to avoid conflicts of interest in all-important cause of death determinations and replace the sheriff-coroner model with independent medical examiners.
“Our criminal justice agencies owe the families of victims in unnatural deaths a timely, professional, and independent investigation. And they owe the public a credible assessment of whether a crime has been committed.”
“How a New Generation of Prosecutors is Driving Criminal Justice Reform Outside of Congress”
In this op-ed in The Hill, newly-elected Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez and FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky describe how prosecutors are making great strides in supporting safe, fair, and healthy communities across the country.