Criminal Justice in Divided America Police, Punishment, and the Future of Our Democracy
Produktdetaljer
Om bidragsyterne
David A. Sklansky is Stanley Morrison Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and faculty codirector of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center. A former assistant US attorney in Los Angeles, he is the author of A Pattern of Violence: How the Law Classifies Crimes and What It Means for Justice.A searching examination of the criminal justice system in America, each of whose components is found wanting…A valuable platform for advocates of judicial, penal, and police reform.
Kirkus Reviews
Sklansky’s impactful, crisply written study makes a cogent argument for criminal justice reform as a means to preserve U.S. democracy.
- Chad E. Statler, Library Journal
Analysis doesn’t get much more clear-eyed than this.
- Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review
Sklansky's sober and careful analysis is exactly what we need right now. Democracy and criminal legal processing are interconnected, he argues in this important new book, and populism and polarization threaten the democratic governance that empowers all groups to participate. His remedy—a renewed commitment to democratic pluralism—is ambitiously hopeful. Let’s hope he is right.
- Tracey Meares, Yale Law School,
<i>Criminal Justice in Divided America</i> is an authoritative and accessible commentary on the most vexing issues facing the administration of criminal justice. It is full of pertinent information, conveyed with nuance and respect for complexity. I recommend it enthusiastically.
- Randall Kennedy, Harvard Law School,
Breathtaking in its scope and depth. Sklansky deftly surveys a huge literature—sociological, psychological, philosophical, political, legal—and shows that the failures of our criminal legal system are inextricably linked to the crisis in American democracy. Challenging the recent populism of the left and right, <i>Criminal Justice in Divided America</i> advances a vision of democratic pluralism that is both an antidote to polarization and a roadmap to reform.
- Erin Murphy, New York University School of Law,
This book outlines concrete steps that we can pursue <i>right now</i> to achieve greater fairness and equality in the justice system while restoring American democracy. Its bold agenda of consensus-based reforms is at once inspiring and realistic—and necessary.
- Sarah Seo, Columbia Law School,
How a broken criminal justice system has fueled the crisis of American democracy, and how we can address both problems together.
American criminal justice is in crisis. Prisons are swollen, confidence in police has plummeted, and race- and class-based biases distort every aspect of the system. American democracy is in crisis, too, as the chasm of loathing and incomprehension that divides political factions grows ever wider and deeper. Legal scholar and former prosecutor David A. Sklansky argues that these crises are deeply intertwined. And if the failures of American criminal justice are near the heart of our political divides, then reforming the system is essential for repairing our democracy.
Criminal Justice in Divided America shows how police, courts, and prisons helped to break American democracy and how better approaches to public safety and criminal accountability can help to repair it. Engaging critically with concerns from both the left and the right, Sklansky lays out a clear and deeply researched agenda for reforming police departments, prosecutors’ offices, criminal trials, and punishment. Sklansky seeks pragmatic solutions that take account of political realities: the lofty ideal of empowering “the people” or “the community” can mean little when members of the public or the community disagree. While efforts to “defund” the police have exacerbated political conflicts without addressing the underlying problem of how and when force should be used to protect public safety, reforms aimed at improving police accountability, restraining prosecutorial power, and expanding the role of juries can bring together warring parties who share a concern for justice.
Ultimately, Sklansky argues, reform must be rooted in a strong commitment to pluralism—bridging political divides rather than worsening them, strengthening democracy, and securing the broad support that enables durable change.