“When I became a lawyer, I thought the criminal justice system would meet people’s needs,” says Jon, a facilitator at a restorative justice clinic in North Carolina. “But it doesn’t. Offenders aren’t helped, they’re punished.” This is what happens in the United States’ punitive system: it is a process designed to determine guilt and impose … read more
Breaking the Cycle: California’s Fight Against the School-to-Prison Pipeline
“Walk into any classroom in California, and you’ll see so many kids filled with promise,” says a public school teacher in the Oakland school district. But for too many students, especially “Black, Brown, disabled, homeless, and foster youth,” that promise is derailed by a system that treats misbehavior as a criminal offense instead of a … read more
Carrying the System: The Cost of Being a Public Defender
By 9 a.m., she’s already met two new clients, each facing felony charges. By noon, she’s given her case in front of a judge, scrambled to finalize paperwork, and returned half a dozen voicemails from frantic family members. “Sometimes it feels like my client’s freedom depends on my fifth cup of coffee,” she said, chuckling. … read more
