Criminal (In)justice

Latest Episodes:

#126 The Past, Present and Future of Policing Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

Since the murder of George Floyd, hundreds of protests against police misconduct have occurred across the country. People are demanding real change, right now. But let’s step back, and take the long view: has American policing improved? Even if the answer is yes, what more must police do to give all Americans the policing they deserve, equally, fairly, and free or racial bias?

David Couper served in policing since the early 1960s, over twenty of them as a Chief of Police. He’s now a blogger, commentator and author about police. His book, “Arrested Development,” warns about where policing in the U.S. is headed – and suggests seven steps to get it on the right track.

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Bonus: How Will Coney Barrett Rule on Criminal Justice? Oct 18, 2020

Show notes

Presumptive Justice-to-be Amy Coney Barrett is conservative in both her political ideology and her judicial philosophy. But that doesn't mean she'll automatically side with police and prosecutors on the Supreme Court bench. Indeed, if her mentor Antonin Scalia is any guide, Coney Barrett may be less predictable on criminal justice than on other social issues.

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Bonus: Whose Crime Bill Was It? Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

For decades, Joe Biden has claimed credit for crafting and championing the 1994 Crime Bill, now widely regarded as the policy foundation for the modern carceral state, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the systematic, often militarized overpolicing of Black communities. It's no surprise that Biden's very public association with that legislation has become a political liability in the Black Lives Matter era. But he's far from being the only member of his party who bears responsibility.

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Bonus: Breonna Taylor's Death Wasn't a Tragic Accident Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

Who bears responsibility for Breonna Taylor's murder?

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Bonus: Legal Giant, Human Being Sep 28, 2020

Show notes

Remembering the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

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#125 Wrongful Convictions – But No Crimes? Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

We’ve all heard about the cases of wrongfully convicted people going to prison for the crimes others committed. In some cases, DNA exonerates them and finds the person who really did it. But what about people wrongfully convicted – of crimes that never happened at all?

Our guest is Jessica S. Henry, Professor at Montclair State University and the author of “Smoke But No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes That Never Happened” (UC Press, 2020).

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#124 Voices From Death Row Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

More than two million Americans are incarcerated in prisons and jails. These are often violent, difficult, and unhealthy places. But if prison is dangerous, how much more so – is Death Row? And how does a person live, knowing the only way out is death by execution?

Our guests are writer Tessie Castillo, and Terry Robinson, a resident of Death Row in North Carolina. Along with others on Death Row, they wrote “Crimson Letters: Voices from Death Row”

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# 123 Can Requiring Police Professional Insurance Tame Police Misconduct? Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

With the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, the search for ways to tame police misconduct has become more intense than ever. Can requiring officers to have private insurance play a role?

Our guest is Professor Deborah Ramirez of Northeastern University School of Law, in Boston. She’ll tell us how requiring police to carry

professional liability insurance could, perhaps, help us curb abuses.

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Ask Dave: The Problem With 'Bad Apples' Aug 21, 2020

Show notes

Dave responds to listener comments about episode #119 guest Cedric Alexander's use of the oft-invoked phrase "a few bad apples" to characterize the relationship between police violence and institutional culture.

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#121 Would More Diversity Improve Policing? Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

In the storm of protests after the murder of George Floyd,

many say that having more African American and Latino

officers will reduce police violence and force used against

people of color. Will it? Our guest is the Dr. Rayshawn Ray,

Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, show

studies the impact of race in policing, and how we can meet

the challenges it brings.

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