Here in America, the number of people we choose to incarcerate makes up 25% of the world’s prison population. And that statistic was driven by mainly by state and local “tough on crime” prosecutors.
Prosecutors have a huge amount of power and control over who get criminally charged, who doesn’t, what crimes get pursued, and what crimes get ignored, who gets a plea bargain, and who gets denied or offered rehabilitative diversion programs.
If you want to change the system the fastest way is to become a reform District Attorney. But while that may be popular with the majority of voters in some areas, even these officials face a ton of well-funded resistance.
In this episode, Justin Kollar, who has been working as and for the Reform Prosecutor Movement since 2012 joins host Mary Whiteside to discuss the ways prosecutors can use their power to advance justice and divert resources to truly help communities and make them safer.
Find us @courtpod on Twitter and May it Displease the Court on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Clapper
Drop an email at mayitdispleasethecourt@gmail.com.
We would also love to rate and review the show. It helps others find the program.
Sources
https://fairandjustprosecution.org/about-fjp/our-work-and-vision/
https://www.civilbeat.org/beat/kauai-prosecutor-stepping-down-for-nonprofit-gig/
https://fairandjustprosecution.org/about-fjp/our-team/
Article on Willie Simmons: https://www.essence.com/news/willie-simmons-life-prison-alabama-habitual-offender/
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.