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Reconstruction Sentencing: Reimagining Drug Sentencing In The Aftermath Of The War On Drugs, Jelani Jefferson Exum
Reconstruction Sentencing: Reimagining Drug Sentencing In The Aftermath Of The War On Drugs, Jelani Jefferson Exum
Faculty Publications
(Excerpt)
The year is 2020, and the world has been consumed by a viral pandemic, social unrest, increased political activism, and a history-changing presidential election. In this moment, anti-racism rhetoric has been adopted by many, with individuals and institutions pledging themselves to the work of dismantling systemic racism. If we are going to be true to that mission, then addressing the carnage of the failed War on Drugs has to be among the top priorities. The forty years of treating drug law offenders as enemies of society have left us with decimated communities and have perpetuated a biased view of …
What’S The Point? The Missing Piece Of Criminal Justice Reform Through Consensus And Compromise, Jelani Jefferson Exum
What’S The Point? The Missing Piece Of Criminal Justice Reform Through Consensus And Compromise, Jelani Jefferson Exum
Faculty Publications
(Excerpt)
Criminal justice reform has had a firm place in news headlines for more than a decade. When the mass incarceration crisis came to the fore in 2008, with reports that one in a hundred adults in America was behind bars, there had already long been cries for reducing the prison and jail populations. Reform has mainly been sought through two approaches: consensus through ballot initiative or legislative compromise. But these modes of reform share a fundamental failure: both often lack a clear articulation of the purpose of criminal sentencing. In other words, “What’s the point?” Without an agreement on …