coldhearted scientist وداد

I met Bill Quigley long ago as an activist against the death penalty. Now he says:

Three recent reports help show the way for New Orleans to improve the criminal justice system. They stress earlier and better communication between the police and prosecutors, a wider range of pretrial release options and greater use of alternatives to prison.

The August 2007 report of the Urban Institute, “Washed Away? Justice in New Orleans,” documents past and present challenges for criminal justice. Available online at http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411530_washed_away.pdf.

The Vera Institute of Justice report, “Proposals for New Orleans’ Criminal Justice System: Best Practices to Advance Public Safety and Justice,” gives four concrete ways that the system can be improved in the short run. This report is available at http://www.vera.org/publication_pdf/399_770.pdf.

The community-based Safe Streets/Strong Communities organization has put out several recommendations on how New Orleans can fight crime without criminalizing or alienating people in the neighborhoods. See http://www.safestreetsnola.org.

But even if all these changes are started, most leaders acknowledge what Judge Calvin Johnson, who has presided in criminal court for nearly 20 years, says over and over: “We cannot arrest our way out of this problem.”

Read Quigley’s complete article.

Axé.