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Showing posts from September, 2020

RACIAL INEQUALITY AND SYSTEMIC INJUSTICE TACKLED BY U.S. COURTS

In a yet-to-be-published article , my colleagues Sahira Abdool, Tricia Cameron-Anglin, and Jeffrey Newman and I wrote that  the twin crises of systemic racial injustice and the Covid-19 pandemic have caused unprecedented social and economic upheaval – including economic contraction and violent street protests -- that pose existential threats to society. The article is an urgent call to action for judicial leaders, both judges and court administrators, not only to continue to provide critical justice services but also to become active participants  in a  whole-of-society approach (WOSA)  to combat racial injustice and the pandemic. For example, we urge court leaders to close   the gap between the law on the books and the law in practice by asking tough questions about differences between what we would like to see happen and what actually is happening in the justice system, such as the fact that   pretrial custody account for roughly one-third of all incarcerated individuals globally.