The current climate of criminal justice reform

Guests: Sari Horwitz, Nicole Fortier, Neill Franklin, Marc Debbaudt

The so-called “tough on crime” policies of the 1980s and 90s contributed to an exponential increase in America’s incarceration rate and exacerbated tensions between the public and the police. This problem has caused many within law enforcement and government to speak out on the matter. Last week, a new group consisting of more than 130 current and former law enforcement officials announced their new coalition with the intent of righting what they see as wrongs in the criminal justice system. In addition, bipartisan sentencing reform bills were introduced to Congress earlier this month. Today, we look at some of the ways that the government and the law enforcement community are addressing the issues in our current crime-fighting strategies. First, we’ll speak with Washington Post reporter SARI HORWITZ about the string of initiatives being taken by the Justice Department in reducing incarceration rates. Then, we’ll speak with NICOLE FORTIER, counsel in the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, and NIELL FRANKLIN, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, who are both working with the new coalition. We’ll also hear from Deputy District Attorney of Los Angeles County, MARC DEBBAUDT about how new laws in Los Angeles County are affecting its crime rate.