Source: (2012) The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics.25:905-912.
“Smart on Crime” criminal justice reforms have emerged in recent years as
shrinking government budgets and exploding incarceration rates have prompted
scrutiny of the efficiency and efficacy of existing criminal justice approaches.
Policymakers across the country have sought out new strategies designed to
prevent crime and recidivism, enhance community safety, reduce our reliance on
incarceration, and save taxpayer dollars. As a result, law enforcement, courts, and
correctional agencies have been implementing innovative approaches in areas
such as diversion, problem-solving courts, alternatives to incarceration, and
ex-offender re-entry. However, the role of prosecutors and prosecutorial agencies
in this story is often overlooked. This essay, written for the Georgetown Journal
of Legal Ethics Symposium on the Conscience and Culture of Prosecution,
highlights the emergence of the “smart on crime” reform movement and argues
that prosecutors should endeavor to serve as engines of criminal justice reform. (excerpt)
Your donation helps Prison Fellowship International repair the harm caused by crime by emphasizing accountability, forgiveness, and making amends for prisoners and those affected by their actions. When victims, offenders, and community members meet to decide how to do that, the results are transformational.
Donate Now