NCCD Now: Justice Reform

May 4, 2015 | National Council on Crime and Delinquency

justice-reform

Recent events—some tragic, others hopeful—have put criminal justice system reform onto the front page and, importantly, into the hearts of many.

Recent events—some tragic, others hopeful—have put criminal justice system reform onto the front page and, importantly, into the hearts of many. This momentum is promising for those organizations and individuals who have been working to improve and change the justice system: with new initiatives including John Legend’s #FREEAMERICA and Media for a Just Society Awards judge Van Jones’ #cut50, justice system reform is getting a wealth of bipartisan and popular attention.

NCCD has been working in justice reform for over 100 years. At NCCD, we envision just and humane social systems that promote strong and safe communities and improve the lives of all people. All of our work is aimed at the goal of all people being treated equitably, with respect, and in a way that supports individual and community success and safety. Our work in the criminal justice system includes helping agencies and organizations find safe and effective alternatives to incarceration, creating opportunities to prevent and intervene in community violence, and conducting research to support a just and equitable justice system.

Yet there are many lenses on how to improve the justice system, and this month we are taking the opportunity to share some of those with you. This NCCD Now brings together leading advocates for justice reform, who will share with us the incredible work they are doing all across the country. We are proud to share the stories and important work of these individuals and organizations, and to learn from them what we each can do to achieve our shared goal of equity and justice for all people living in this country.

Blog posts will be linked here as they go live:

A Viable Substitute For Incarceration by Khalil Cumberbatch, Legal Action Center

Just Say No to Criminalizing Drug Use by Sharda Sekaran, Drug Policy Alliance

Are Evidence-Based Practices What We Need? by Dr. Angela Wolf, Director of Justice Strategies, NCCD

The Real Experts in Criminal Justice Reform by Glenn E. Martin, JustLeadershipUSA

Making Better Decisions in Criminal Justice by Erin Manske, Researcher, NCCD

Reigniting Public Support for College in Prison by Vivian Nixon, College and Community Fellowship

Structured Decision Making® Through a Racial Equity Lens by Angela Fitzgerald, Senior Researcher, NCCD

Hope in Mississippi by Nsombi Lambright, One Voice

Directly Impacted Communities Can Solve the Policing Crisis, by Alyssa Aguilera, VOCAL-NY

We’ve Received A Call…, by Ahmad Abuznaid, Dream Defenders

Rhetoric and Reality in Criminal Justice Reform: Three Graphs, by Jesse Russell, PhD, Director of Research, NCCD

Supporting Justice Reform Through Workload Analysis by Sarah Covington, Researcher, NCCD