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Prison reform is crucial — but in order to fix the justice system’s problems, it’s important to know how the state and federal systems are different.

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Automatic Voter Registration Passes New York State Senate

This afternoon, the New York State Senate passed an automatic voter registration bill. Read about the Brennan Center’s groundbreaking work to enact automatic voter registration across the country. ([link removed])

Can the Members of the Electoral College Choose Who They Vote For?

In a pair of rulings that have been appealed to the Supreme Court, the justices are being asked to decide whether states can require presidential electors to vote for that state’s popular-vote winner. Learn more with this Brennan Center expert brief. ([link removed])

Criminal Justice Reform at the State and Federal Level

Today, some 2.2 million people are incarcerated in county jails and state and federal prisons, giving the United States the largest prison population in the world. Most of the 2.2 million people behind bars are incarcerated at the county and state level, but with 12 percent of the national prison population, the federal justice system incarcerates more people than any single state. Prison reform is crucial — but in order to fix the problems of the state and federal justice systems, it's important to know how those systems are different in the first place. Read more about the state ([link removed]) and federal ([link removed]) justice systems and some of the solutions proposed by Brennan Center experts.

Breaking the Cycle of Mass Incarceration

In her book, Prisoners of Politics: Breaking the Cycle of Mass Incarceration ([link removed]), NYU law professor Rachel Barkow details solutions for fixing the myriad problems of the criminal justice system. She spoke with the Brennan Center’s Ruth Sangree about some of them. ([link removed])

Qualified Immunity is the Scourge of Prison Reform

In September 2013, a Texas prisoner named Trent Taylor was placed in a cell with no sink, toilet, or bed, and only one clogged drain. He was denied restroom breaks and was forced to urinate on himself and sleep in his urine. But because of the “qualified immunity” doctrine, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of the guards who forced Taylor to sleep in his own filth. Read more about Taylor’s case and how qualified immunity is stifling prison reform. ([link removed])

UPCOMING EVENT: Legal Scholar David A. Harris on Police Violence ([link removed])

How do police confrontations go wrong? How can courts secure justice for victims after the fact? And how can such incidents be avoided in the first place? University of Pittsburgh law professor David A. Harris offers answers by way of one such incident in his hometown. His new book, A City Divided: Race, Fear and the Law in Police Confrontations ([link removed]), looks at the case of a Black high school honors student bruised and beaten by police — an incident that provoked protests across Pittsburgh. RSVP today! ([link removed])

Vote for the Brennan Center ([link removed])

You have three weeks to vote for the Brennan Center at CREDO Mobile! Thanks to CREDO, we’re one of three organizations that could receive part of a $150,000 grant this month. This funding will make a crucial difference as we fight against voter suppression, to end partisan gerrymandering, and to secure our elections from cyberattacks. Cast your vote here by January 31, and don’t forget to share with your networks! ([link removed])

We are experimenting with the format of this newsletter and are eager to know what you think of it. What would you like to see here? Email your thoughts to [email protected].

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The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to reform, revitalize – and when necessary defend – our country’s systems of democracy and justice.

Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
120 Broadway, Suite 1750
New York, NY 10271
T 646 292 8310
F 212 463 7308
[email protected]

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