Justice
Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry and Duke University Law School professor Brandon Garrett
Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry and Duke University Law School professor Brandon Garrett discuss their unique and extraordinary new joint initiative to shine a light into a long-hidden corner of the criminal justice system: plea bargains. Read the full report here.
Senate GOP unveils police reform bill that draws Democratic rebukes
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans unveiled a police reform bill Wednesday that takes a markedly different approach to police reform efforts backed by congressional Democrats. The Senate GOP bill would incentivize police departments to ban chokeholds, increase the use of body-worn cameras, improve training in de-escalation tactics and take prior records into greater account when making […]
Two of ‘Exonerated Five’ share stories of injustice in criminal system to heal, help others
If North Carolina leaders are serious about addressing racism in the criminal justice system, they should start by putting themselves in the shoes of the accused. That was the advice this week from Yusef Salaam, who served almost seven years in prison for a rape and assault he didn’t commit. “If we can look at somebody […]
Assessing fines based upon income?
For years, Finland’s public education system has served as the exemplar against which schools in other countries should be measured. By elevating the status of teachers to “professionals” and minimizing testing in favor of personal attention, the Finns have a proven track record. As LynNell Hancock reported in this 2011 Smithsonian piece: Educators had little idea it […]
A life well-lived: RIP Cy King
We lost Cy King this week. As Anne Blythe of Raleigh’s News & Observer reported in this excellent story yesterday, the veteran progressive activist passed away on Wednesday after a brief illness at age 91. Would that we could all look back at the end of our days on a life so well and richly […]
150th anniversary of Gettysburg Address
Today is the 150th anniversary of the most famous speech by the nation’s greatest president. There are multiple versions of the speech still in existence and, of course, no recordings of the event so no one is 100% sure of the exact words Lincoln used that day. The following is thought by many to be […]
Supremes for sale
The good government advocates at the Alliance for Justice have released a new film entitled “Unequal Justice: The Relentless Rise of the 1% Court.” The film “explores the growing pro-corporate bias in key Court decisions and their real-world impact on ordinary Americans. Steadily and relentlessly, the Court has been transformed into an institution that frequently serves the […]
Senate Budget Proposal Makes $25.6 million in Additional Cuts to JPS Agencies Compared to House Budget Proposal
The proposed Senate budget would reduce the appropriation to the Justice and Public Safety (JPS) budget by $46 million, or 2 percent, over the continuation budget. Compared to the House budget proposal, the Senate budget proposal would cut the JPS section by 25.6 million more dollars. Nearly $40 million of the cuts facing the JPS […]