Take Action for Justice
Dear Friends, This year, instead of my annual criminal justice wish list, I’ve made a criminal justice action plan. Join me in donating, signing petitions, or sending books and holiday cards. There are many ways to make a difference. 1. Support the Innocent and Exonerated Far too many innocent people are released from prison with nothing […]
Passing the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Survivors Act, with Alex Bailey, Senior Campaign Strategist from the Sentencing Project
Alex Bailey, Senior Campaign Strategist for the Sentencing Project, led the push for passage of the Oklahoma Survivors Act of 2024, a ground-breaking law that allows people convicted of serious crimes a chance to show that domestic violence or sexual abuse contributed to their actions. Alex is a master story-teller, who vividly shares the experiences […]
Getting Lost and Getting Found, with John Pace, Senior Reentry Coordinator for Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project
John Pace was just 17 years old when he pled guilty to felony murder and was sentenced to mandatory life without parole. John spent 31 years in prison until a change in law allowed for his release. John now works to impact the lives of others as a Senior Reentry Coordinator for YSRP and as […]
Live from Watchung Booksellers, a Conversation with Law Professor Kim Wehle on the President’s Pardon Power
In this bonus episode of Just Justice, join me in an unedited post-election night recording of a fascinating and sometimes frightening live conversation with law professor Kim Wehle about her new book, Pardon Power: How the Pardon System Works and Why. We discuss the history of the pardon power, look back on how President Donald […]
Judging Remorse in Criminal Sentencing, Susan Bandes, Law and Emotions
Susan Bandes is a pioneer in the study of law and emotions. The law looks for remorse from people who commit crimes at sentencing and in the parole process. But as Professor Bandes warns, judging remorse is far more difficult than it seems.
Election Musings and Presidential Pardon Power
Dear Friends, Tuesday is election day. You know what’s at stake. Democracy, decency, free speech, censorship, fairness, women’s reproductive rights, health care, freedom, historical accuracy — it’s all on the line. So is justice. Consider the death penalty. Trump is aggressively pro-death penalty. When he was president, he revived the federal death penalty after a […]
Meet the Prosecutors Fighting for Resentencing, with Hillary Blout from For the People
You don’t necessarily think of prosecutors when you think about second chances. After all, prosecutor offices are the very entities that send people to prison in the first place. Join me for a fascinating conversation with Hillary Blout, a former prosecutor and the Founder and Executive Director of For the People, a national nonprofit […]
Author Ben Austen Talks Parole, Innocence, and “Buck Rogers” Prison Time
Ben Austen, author of Correction: Parole, Prison and the Possibility of Change, provides a rare glimpse into the often opaque and dysfunctional parole process. He shares the stories of two men who spend decades in prison before they present their cases to the parole board. In the telling, Austen reveals the possibilities and the brokenness of parole […]
The Death Penalty is the Opposite of a Second Chance
Dear Friends, Last week, in the span of seven days, five men in five states were executed. It was the worst state killing spree in over thirty years. It was a brutal, blood-soaked week that raised issues of what accountability in our criminal legal system should look like. I guarantee you; it doesn’t need to […]
“Never Write Anyone Off”, with David Singleton, Associate Dean for Experiential and Clinical Programs at UDC School of Law
David Singleton has worked for the poor and against racial inequity throughout his career. Join us as we talk with David about being a public defender, his service as the Director of the Ohio Justice, and the “Beyond Guilt” project. David exhorts us to “never write anyone off,” and persuasively makes the case for second chances.