Where did criminal justice reform turn wrong? Why it will be a temporary detour.
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You're an Agenda Setter. Agenda Setters recognize that sometimes politicians do the right thing. Sometimes the news is good. It's crucial to recognize that. The alternative is learned helplessness.
We could share more good news with you today, because there has been some, but...
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We must also take notice when bad news harms our core goals.
The U.S. prison population is a key measure of freedom versus The State. That's why we made criminal justice reform a central part of our agenda. And things looked good at first!
Criminal justice reform was popular!
Reform had bipartisan support. It was featured in the 2012 Republican platform. Donald Trump maintained the commitment in 2016. He also enthusiastically signed the FIRST STEP Act in December 2018. Amongst other things, it reduced draconian sentences.
Where did criminal justice reform turn wrong?
During the pandemic, some Republicans started telling lies to scare and manipulate gullible voters. Trump changed his tune in 2022. Some states started to repeal successful reforms they had earlier enacted. And the partisanship is getting worse...
One of the speakers at the recent Republican convention, a police lieutenant, claimed that "America is more dangerous than ever before." And Trump doubled down on the lie, claiming that murder rates have soared. Joe Lancaster at Reason sets the record straight...
"While murders in the 30 largest U.S. cities rose by more than 13 percent in 2015, a study by the Brennan Center for Justice found that "half of that change occurred in just three cities"—Trump's cherry-picked examples of Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. "Murder nationally is still similar to what it was in 2012, at historic lows."
"And while 2020 did see a nationwide spike in violent crime amid summer protests, murder rates fell precipitously in 2023, and preliminary data for the beginning of 2024 suggests that overall violent crime has continued falling and may again hit record lows by the end of the year."
Sadly, the 2024 GOP platform says nothing about criminal justice reform. Instead, the official GOP position is to increase policing and protect officers from so-called frivolous lawsuits. Trump even promised to give cops "immunity from prosecution." That's the opposite of what we need to do!
But we must not be discouraged by the recent news that criminal justice reforms turns wrong. Political progress is rarely linear. It ratchets – like, two clicks forward and one click back. We can move more clicks forward by doing three simple things...
ONE: Share the truth with your friends, family, and neighbors; crime is not getting worse, it's getting better. Criminal justice reform was working, not failing. Politicians are cherry-picking the evidence to scare and manipulate voters.
TWO: Join The 300 for the End Qualified Immunity Act. Tell your elected representatives that you want to do the opposite of what Mr. Trump advocates on the issue of police immunity. Cops need to be held responsible for their actions, JUST LIKE THE REST OF US! As the saying goes, "With great power comes great responsibility."
THREE: If you've already joined The 300, then please make a one-time contribution or start a monthly pledge to support our work!
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Above all...
Set your own agenda,
Jim Babka, President
Agenda Setters by Downsize DC
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