Criminal Justice | Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review

The Impact of COVID-19 in Jails and Prisons Across America

by Olivia Lechtenberger | Oct 7, 2021 | Amicus, Criminal Justice, Human Rights, Policing and Law Enforcement

Over the past 18 months, as the world has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, those detained in jails, prisons, and detention centers have been severely impacted due to lack of physical distancing, proper sanitation methods, and the failure to prioritize testing...

Hemphill v. New York: Supreme Court to Confront a Question on the Confrontation Clause

by saraharmstrong | Oct 1, 2021 | Amicus, Courts & Judicial Interpretation, Criminal Justice

Next week, the Supreme Court’s October Term begins, with cases ranging from state water lines to state secrets. One of the cases, being argued on October 12, 2021, is Hemphill v. New York, which asks the Court to decide whether a criminal defendant who opens the door...

Maryland Becomes First State to Repeal its Police Bill of Rights

by Katharine Bohrs | Apr 22, 2021 | Amicus, Criminal Justice, Policing and Law Enforcement

This month, Maryland became the first state to repeal its statutory police bill of rights, thereby reducing the special protections police officers had previously received in the event that one of them was facing criminal prosecution. For those who are highlighting...

Historic New York State Legislation Shows Us What is Possible When Elected Officials Listen to Organizers and Directed-Impacted Communities

by Ava Cilia | Apr 8, 2021 | Amicus, Criminal Justice, Legislation, Policing and Law Enforcement, Racial Justice

On the morning of March 31st, New York, home to the city once considered to be the marijuana arrest capital of the world, became the 15th state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Just hours later, the Governor signed into law an act dramatically limiting...

Pretrial Detention Has Become Exponentially More Deadly in the Pandemic

by saraharmstrong | Mar 4, 2021 | Amicus, Criminal Justice, Human Rights, Policing and Law Enforcement

Pretrial detention, or keeping a person accused of a crime in jail until their trial, is a common practice throughout the United States. Though the system is portrayed as a way to protect public safety and ensure people show up for their trials, most often it instead...

The Family Regulation System: Why Those Committed to Racial Justice Must Interrogate It

by Ava Cilia | Feb 17, 2021 | Amicus, Criminal Justice, Education & Youth, Policing and Law Enforcement, Poverty and Economic Justice, Racial Justice

Photo credit: The Imprint This past summer, the broadest protests in U.S. history erupted in response to the murders of Black people, like Tony McDade, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, at the hands of law enforcement. Calls to defund the police and reinvest those...