1/ I spent a lot of time working on clemency cases during the Obama Administration & think there could be some merit in involving qualified outside stakeholders in a process designed to be address justice-related goals & give fair consideration to all applicants. But it can’t...
2/ be completely divorced from DOJ because of the need for information on the crime of conviction, prison conduct, etc. to assess whether the person meets whatever criteria are established for release. But most importantly, no one should be released without a plan for reentry...
3/ that maximizes the person’s chance for success. Potential barriers like housing, jobs, medical care, transportation must be addressed & they need transitional support. Clemency can reduce taxpayer costs w/out increasing crime if done correctly but most importantly it has to...
4/ provide support for people returning to their communities. Nor is clemency alone Criminal Justice reform. There are many issues including charging, sentencing & prison reform, crime prevention (including education) & reentry support that have to all be addressed.
5/ If you release people to justify future pardons of friends & for political points, you’re not committed to criminal justice reform. If Trump is serious he should start by insisting Alabama fix its horrific prisons, which were condemned in a DOJ report released last April.
6/ I hear people who are saying you can't treat a Trump's politically motivated plan seriously, but my time at DOJ led me to conclude criminal justice reform is one of the major civil rights challenges we face, so I welcome the opening to discuss & get it on folks' radar screens.
