Game day injustice? Judges dole out harsher sentences after home team upset

As the consensus for criminal justice reform grows, Americans are beginning to hear more about the implicit biases that shape everything from juvenile sentencing to the high number of people—particularly low-income people of color—incarcerated in the country’s...

Series: It Takes a Village

Collaboration is key when it comes to keeping kids out of the justice system

The title of our latest report on diversion strategies—“It Takes a Village”—is no accident. School administrators and teachers, law enforcement officials, service providers, and families all play key roles in keeping young people out of the juvenile justice sy...

Series: It Takes a Village

Getting the word out about diversion programs

Diversion strategies that prioritize community- and family-based solutions over punitive measures can help young people avoid becoming involved in the justice system. Vera’s recent report detailed the important work of many organizations—from Nevada to Nebrask...

Series: Unlocking Potential

Increasing interest in and passion for learning throughout the prison system

Former intern Monnero Guervil interviews Baz Dreisinger for this blog post.  What inspired you to create John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Prison-to-College Pipeline (P2CP) program? How does it differ, if at all, from other college in prison programs...

The end of federal private prisons is a big step towards reimagining criminal justice

The United States’ incarcerated population stands at more than 2.2 million. Nearly 1.6 million Americans are behind prison bars—only 22,000 of whom reside in privately managed federal facilities. So why are there headlines about Thursday’s Department of Justic...

Series: Gender and Justice in America

Breaking the silence about women in prison

We like to think incarcerated women are so different from the general population. But that’s simply not true. I often say: If you want to understand sexism in America, go to a women’s prison. Gender bias for incarcerated women is the same bias that forces...

Series: Gender and Justice in America

Mass incarceration and its impact are devastating to women

9to5, National Association of Working Women—of which I am the Georgia chapter director—understands the devastating impact mass incarceration has on women. The rate of growth for female imprisonment has outpaced men by more than 50 percent between 1980 and 20...

Observations from Rikers: A German’s first visit to the island

Last year, a high-ranking United States delegation of more than 25 members visited Germany to become informed about German prison policy. The delegation was led by Jeremy Travis, president of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Nick Turner, president and...

There is no magic bullet to fixing bail

The belief that bail reform needs to happen in New York City is no longer a fringe position. Most New Yorkers agree that someone should not sit in jail simply because he or she lacks $500 to pay bail. But what that reform should look like is up for much debate...

Series: Addressing the Overuse of Segregation in U.S. Prisons and Jails

Gardner Fellow Danny Murillo on life after solitary

Regardless of how much time and space I put in between myself and the Security Housing Unit (SHU) in Pelican Bay State Prison, the effects of isolation will always linger. My spirit resists, resiliently, the social pathologies known to “develop in prisoners wh...

Series: Addressing the Overuse of Segregation in U.S. Prisons and Jails

Change is relative to where you begin

For correctional systems, governments, and advocates seeking to reform the use of segregation, the goal should be more than emptying beds. Success should be measured by impacts in engagement, interactions, and safe environments—not just bed use—to reduce use o...

Series: It Takes a Village

How police benefit from diversion strategies

Vera’s recent report, It Takes a Village: Diversion Resources for Police and Families, details how diversion programs provide families and communities resources to keep young people safe, on track, and out of the criminal justice system. But young people aren’...