AN EQUITABLE APPROACH TO JUSTICE THAT WORKS
We Stand for
Laws that govern the criminal justice system—and how they are enforced—must uphold the constitutional principle that all people are treated fairly. Those who write and enforce the
AN EQUITABLE APPROACH TO JUSTICE THAT WORKS
We Stand for
Laws that govern the criminal justice system—and how they are enforced—must uphold the constitutional principle that all people are treated fairly. Those who write and enforce the laws must be accountable to the communities they serve.
Responses to crime must serve justice and be proportional to the severity of the crime. Past practices of reflexively pursuing the harshest punishment led to unjust levels of mass incarceration, particularly for communities of color.
Solutions embracing comprehensive approaches outside of the justice system — in public and behavioral health, education, jobs, and housing — must be at the center of any strategy to prevent crime; reduce violence and recidivism; and close opportunity gaps.
Instead of relying on conventional wisdom or gut feeling, criminal justice policies and approaches should be informed by data and evidence. Policies and strategies should be evaluated rigorously, regularly, and transparently in order to ensure that those policies’ goals are being achieved.
Smart on Crime Year In Review 2019
The Big Idea: Marijuana Profits Must Atone for the War on Drugs
2018 Smart On Crime Innovations Conference Recap
What Harsh Prison Sentences Are Doing to Our Communities
Andrea James: The Need for Prison Sentencing Reform for Women and Mothers
How Cities are Getting Smart on Second Chances
A Criminal Record Shouldn’t Be a Life Sentence to Poverty
America's Mayors Are Getting Smart on Crime
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney: Rethinking Jails