Issues We Address:

It should come as no surprise to anyone that the criminal justice system in America needs to be completely overhauled. While we have only 5 percent of the world’s population, we have 25 percent of prisoners behind bars.

Michele Alexander wrote the “New Jim Crow” over ten years ago, describing how the war on drugs was responsible for mass incarceration of black citizens and people of color. She further detailed the crushing impact that this had on many black families and their ability to maintain economic stability. 

While we continue to see high profile police shootings (George Floyd and Breonna Taylor for example, these killings serve as a catalyst for innovative ideas about how to reform the relationship between police and their constituents.

Here are some of the recommendations that have come from states that are instituting new policies:

1. Require comprehensive, complete, and accurate data reporting on the use of force by police officers. This should be available in an easy to access dashboard. Having accurate data on the problem will be a huge step toward organizational improvement.
2. Decriminalize low-level offenses that often result in traffic stops that escalate into the use of deadly force.
3. Find wraparound services for individuals facing criminal prosecution. Help people overcome homelessness addiction and mental illness through the use of non-police solutions.
4. Ban all quotas and points systems that incentivize arrests.
5. Redirect a portion of police funding to promote usage of and support policing alternatives. This will include the use of mental health professionals.