We can protect public safety and defend people’s rights
We are at a critical moment in our country’s history, and it is time to reform our justice system. However, we must always keep in mind the ideals that inspired our nation’s founding: freedom, equal rights, and a deep belief that every person can contribute and succeed.
Here are three big steps in the right direction:
1. Transform police culture. Most police officers and law enforcement leaders across the country – people who risk their lives to serve and protect their communities – know that policies around use of force must change. They are also rightly frustrated that many police union agreements protect bad actors from facing the consequences of their decisions.
2. Remove bad incentives such as civil asset forfeiture and qualified immunity, a judge-made law that prevents law enforcement officials who violate people’s constitutional rights from being held accountable for their actions. We must also reform the federal 1033 program that encourages police to treat communities like militarized combat zones rather than shared neighborhoods.
3. Eliminate unnecessary criminalization. As a society, we’ve criminalized poverty, addiction, mental health, and so many other issues – and we don’t even require adequate intent standards when charging and convicting people with crimes. In fact, over the past 40 years, we’ve added 300,000 federal crimes to the enforcement burden that police officers carry. We must enact robust federal and state overcriminalization reform.
If you agree, sign the petition today!
We are at a critical moment in our country’s history, and it is time to reform our justice system. However, we must always keep in mind the ideals that inspired our nation’s founding: freedom, equal rights, and a deep belief that every person can contribute and succeed.
Here are three big steps in the right direction:
1. Transform police culture. Most police officers and law enforcement leaders across the country – people who risk their lives to serve and protect their communities – know that policies around use of force must change. They are also rightly frustrated that many police union agreements protect bad actors from facing the consequences of their decisions.
2. Remove bad incentives such as civil asset forfeiture and qualified immunity, a judge-made law that prevents law enforcement officials who violate people’s constitutional rights from being held accountable for their actions. We must also reform the federal 1033 program that encourages police to treat communities like militarized combat zones rather than shared neighborhoods.
3. Eliminate unnecessary criminalization. As a society, we’ve criminalized poverty, addiction, mental health, and so many other issues – and we don’t even require adequate intent standards when charging and convicting people with crimes. In fact, over the past 40 years, we’ve added 300,000 federal crimes to the enforcement burden that police officers carry. We must enact robust federal and state overcriminalization reform.
If you agree, sign the petition today!