The time for change is now. In this moment of massive social unrest in our country, public institutions like prosecutors’ offices urgently need reform. We are at a crossroads in our country where we will either continue the status quo or heed the demands for change and cries for justice. Communities of color must be heard and elected officials must listen. LDF is in this fight to help the communities who are most impacted by this broken system. And we are in this fight to win it! We know you are too!
“Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.”
– Thurgood Marshall
What Are We Fighting For?
- Increased public awareness about the harms of mass incarceration and the role of front-end system actors in its creation and growth, enabling voters to make informed decisions when electing these officials.
- A new vision for public safety and justice, particularly for communities of color and disadvantaged individuals, driven by front-end actors, like prosecutors, who manage the entry and exit points of the criminal legal system.
- Increased public scrutiny and heightened accountability that encourages justice system actors to seek incarceration only as a last resort, favoring alternatives to incarceration and replacing outdated policies with approaches that recognize the significance of fostering communities.
- Reforms to the criminal legal system that eliminate racial disparities in arrests, charging, bail, plea bargaining, trial adjudication, and sentencing.
- The elimination of racial bias in the criminal legal system and ensuring that front-end actors acknowledge and account for the racial impact of their decisions.
- Prosecutors to hold other law enforcement actors accountable by charging police officers for misconduct and violence, including police-involved deaths and injuries where excessive force is used.
- Protecting constitutional rights of accused persons such as unbiased jury selection (Batson), disclosure of exculpatory evidence (Brady)¸ the right to counsel (Gideon), and the right and a speedy trial (Sixth Amendment).
- Transparency and public reporting of data to promote better outcomes across the criminal justice system, particularly with prosecution and policing.