January 2020
THE TOPIC:
Joe Biden vs. Cory Booker on criminal justice reform and decriminalization of marijuana
THE QUESTION:
Why is decriminalization of marijuana an important issue in criminal reform? How do Biden and Booker’s different platforms address this issue?
BOOKER: Argues Joe Biden was ‘architect’ of criminal justice system
Politico: “Sen. Cory Booker on Tuesday blamed Joe Biden for what he called a “failed” criminal justice system, dismissing the former vice president’s new plan to combat mass incarceration and escalating a weeks-long dispute between the pair.” Booker argues that his plan is more “comprehensive” and capable of creating “transformative change.”
BIDEN: Scrutinized for Crime Bill, Unveils Plan to Reduce Mass Incarceration
New York Times: “Joseph R. Biden Jr., whose long record on criminal justice matters has cast a shadow over the early months of his presidential campaign, has unveiled a comprehensive plan aimed at combating mass incarceration and reducing “racial, gender and income-based disparities in the system.”
February 2020
February 2020
THE TOPIC:
The Second Look Amendment Act: a proposed bill which expands eligibility for sentence review to all those who committed crimes before age 25 and have served at least 15 years in prison.
THE QUESTION:
Would the Second Look Amendment Act help or harm the criminal justice system? If passed, what effects would the bill have on public health and juvenile justice?
JAMES FORMAN JR: Justice Sometimes Needs A Do-Over
The Washington Post: Forman Jr. argues that the Second Look Amendment Act “offers a promising corrective to the harsh — and ineffective — practices once commonplace in courthouses across America. The bill gives the D.C. Council a chance to restore a measure of fairness to a criminal system often lacking it. If the council is willing to embrace reason over fearmongering, I am confident the Second Look Amendment Act will be recognized as another proud accomplishment.”
THE POST: D.C. Has Gone Too Far on Justice Reforms
The Washington Post: The Post argues that the Second Look Act would be harmful to the criminal justice system. “Out the window would go transparency and truth in sentencing — the assurance to victims and the community that punishment is what it appears to be. By discouraging judges from considering the original crime when they weigh reducing sentences, the council is putting the public at increased risk, unnecessarily.”
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