Podcast appearances and mentions of John Pfaff

We begin this installment of Best Of The Gist with the latest episode of our new podcast Not Even Mad, in which hosts Mike Pesca, Virginia Heffernan, and Jamie Kirchick discuss the politics of parsing crime statistics. Then we listen back to Mike's June 11, 2020 interview with John Pfaff, professor of law and criminology at Fordham University and author of Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration, And How To Achieve Real Reform. They talk about police reform and why politicians touting low crime under their watches could lead to more dysfunction. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Not Even Mad Theme Song by Max Kerman Subscribe to Not Even Mad on Apple, or wherever you are listening to this. Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode twelve of the 12-part podcast series, "https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/white-men-journey (White Men & the Journey Towards Anti-Racism)," Tim interviews Jared Fishman, a civil right lawyer and Founding Executive Director of https://www.justiceinnovationlab.org/ (Justice Innovation Lab), a company building data-driven solutions for a more equitable, effective & fair justice system. This series was created to be a resource for white men who might be wrestling with questions like, “What's my role in anti-racism, equity, inclusion, and justice work as a white man with power and privilege?” and “How might my personal commitment to do this work manifest itself in the organization I help lead?” Are you new to the series? Check out https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/podcast2/ep54 (episode 54) where podcast co-hosts Lauren Ruffin and Tim Cynova introduce and frame the conversations. Download the accompanying https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YRj51JwoP5bsoqFZQa1rrQDj6QtOzODB/view?usp=sharing (study guide). And explore https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/white-men-journey (the other episodes in this series) with guests: Raphael Bemporad (Founding Partner) & Bryan Miller (Chief Financial Officer), BBMG Ted Castle (Founder & President) & Rooney Castle (Vice President), Rhino Foods Ron Carucci, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Navalent David Devan, General Director & President, Opera Philadelphia Jay Coen Gilbert, Co-Founder, B Lab; CEO, Imperative21 Kit Hughes, Co-Founder and CEO of Look Listen Marc Mannella, Independent Consultant, Former CEO KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools John Orr, Executive Director, Art-Reach David Reuter, Partner, LLR Sydney Skybetter, Founder, CRCI; Associate Chair & Senior Lecturer, Theatre Arts & Performance Studies Department, Brown University Want to explore resources related to this episode? Jared suggests:[Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://newjimcrow.com/ (New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness) by Michelle Alexander [Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741 (13th), A Documentary [Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/14301/slavery-by-another-name-by-douglas-a-blackmon/ (Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II) by Douglas Blackmon [Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674238145 (Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America) by Khalil Jibran Muhammad [Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/39834671-punishment-without-crime (Punishment without Crime: How Our Massive Misdemeanor System Traps the Innocent and Makes America More Unequal) by Alexandra Natapoff (on the impact of low level charges) [Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29502356-locked-in (Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform) by John Pfaff (on prosecutors role) [Data and Justice] https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/241363/weapons-of-math-destruction-by-cathy-oneil/ (Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy) by Cathy O'Neil [Date and Justice] https://nyupress.org/9781479892822/the-rise-of-big-data-policing/ (The Rise of Big Data Policing: Surveillance, Race, and the Future of Law Enforcement) by Andrew Guthrie Ferguson [Alternatives to the Status Quo] https://thenewpress.com/books/until-we-reckon (Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair) by Danielle Sered [Behavioral Science] https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676270/the-behavioral-code-by-benjamin-van-rooij/ (The Behavioral Code: The Hidden Ways the Law Makes Us Better…or Worse) by Benjamin Van Rooij & Adam Fine [Behavioral Science] https://righteousmind.com/ (The Righteous Mind: Why...

In episode twelve of the 12-part podcast series, "https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/white-men-journey (White Men & the Journey Towards Anti-Racism)," Tim interviews Jared Fishman, a civil right lawyer and Founding Executive Director of https://www.justiceinnovationlab.org/ (Justice Innovation Lab), a company building data-driven solutions for a more equitable, effective & fair justice system. This series was created to be a resource for white men who might be wrestling with questions like, “What's my role in anti-racism, equity, inclusion, and justice work as a white man with power and privilege?” and “How might my personal commitment to do this work manifest itself in the organization I help lead?” Are you new to the series? Check out https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/podcast2/ep54 (episode 54) where podcast co-hosts Lauren Ruffin and Tim Cynova introduce and frame the conversations. Download the accompanying https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YRj51JwoP5bsoqFZQa1rrQDj6QtOzODB/view?usp=sharing (study guide). And explore https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/white-men-journey (the other episodes in this series) with guests: Raphael Bemporad (Founding Partner) & Bryan Miller (Chief Financial Officer), BBMG Ted Castle (Founder & President) & Rooney Castle (Vice President), Rhino Foods Ron Carucci, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Navalent David Devan, General Director & President, Opera Philadelphia Jay Coen Gilbert, Co-Founder, B Lab; CEO, Imperative21 Kit Hughes, Co-Founder and CEO of Look Listen Marc Mannella, Independent Consultant, Former CEO KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools John Orr, Executive Director, Art-Reach David Reuter, Partner, LLR Sydney Skybetter, Founder, CRCI; Associate Chair & Senior Lecturer, Theatre Arts & Performance Studies Department, Brown University Want to explore resources related to this episode? Jared suggests:[Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://newjimcrow.com (New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness) by Michelle Alexander [Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741 (13th), A Documentary [Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/14301/slavery-by-another-name-by-douglas-a-blackmon/ (Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II) by Douglas Blackmon [Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674238145 (Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America) by Khalil Jibran Muhammad [Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/39834671-punishment-without-crime (Punishment without Crime: How Our Massive Misdemeanor System Traps the Innocent and Makes America More Unequal) by Alexandra Natapoff (on the impact of low level charges) [Race and the Criminal Justice System] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29502356-locked-in (Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform) by John Pfaff (on prosecutors role) [Data and Justice] https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/241363/weapons-of-math-destruction-by-cathy-oneil/ (Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy) by Cathy O'Neil [Date and Justice] https://nyupress.org/9781479892822/the-rise-of-big-data-policing/ (The Rise of Big Data Policing: Surveillance, Race, and the Future of Law Enforcement) by Andrew Guthrie Ferguson [Alternatives to the Status Quo] https://thenewpress.com/books/until-we-reckon (Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair) by Danielle Sered [Behavioral Science] https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676270/the-behavioral-code-by-benjamin-van-rooij/ (The Behavioral Code: The Hidden Ways the Law Makes Us Better…or Worse) by Benjamin Van Rooij & Adam Fine [Behavioral Science] https://righteousmind.com (The Righteous Mind: Why...

Alex Vitale is one of the country's foremost experts on policing and criminal punishment. He is a professor of Sociology at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center, where he coordinates the Policing and Social Justice Project. His book The End of Policing is a comprehensive critique of U.S. police and argues that nearly everything useful done by police can be done better by other institutions. (The book was published in 2017 but recently got an unexpected boost from U.S. senator Ted Cruz.) Prof. Vitale joined to discuss how the recent shooting in Uvalde (and the disastrous police response) and the successful recall of San Francisco's "progressive prosecutor," Chesa Boudin, should inform our thinking about police and punishment. We discuss: Why Ted Cruz thought of The End of Policing as "critical race theory"How the Uvalde shooting shows why policing can't be relied on to protect students from violenceWhy criticizing policing as an institution actually shows that individual police themselves are not the problem, because they are being asked to solve problems that the tools of police are inadequate to solveHow this was also evident in the San Francisco prosecution conflict: reformer Chesa Boudin was held responsible for problems that a prosecutor's office cannot solve (a problem that Prof. Vitale thinks shows the limits of the progressive prosecutor strategy on its own)How district attorney Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, another public defender pursuing a reformist mission, avoided being ousted like BoudinWhy we need to stop talking about stopping crime as if the question is "more policing" or "less policing," instead of talking about how to replace policingWhy Matthew Yglesias' criticism of The End of Policing is silly and wrongHow those of us committed to opposing the existing criminal punishment system can show that we actually care more about preventing violent crime than those pushing for more policingThe Scientific American article on Denver's Support Team Assistance Response (STAR) program is here: "Sending Health Care Workers instead of Cops Can Reduce Crime." The terrible Matthew Yglesias review of The End of Policing that Prof. Vitale responds to is here, and the article on it in Current Affairs by Alec Karakatsanis is here. The idea of "simultaneous overpolicing and underpolicing" that Prof. Vitale critiques is discussed here by Jenée Desmond-Harris. The interview with Rosa Brooks that Nathan mentions is here and the John Pfaff article debunking some misconceptions about the public response to progressive prosecutors is here. Derecka Purnell's book Becoming Abolitionists can be purchased here.

John Pfaff, professor at the Fordham University School of Law, shares his analysis of what the recall of San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin means for progressive prosecutors.

How much should the recall of San Francisco's progressive district attorney be seen as a bellwether for progressivism around the country? On Today's Show:John Pfaff, professor at the Fordham University School of Law, shares his analysis of what the recall of San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin means for progressive prosecutors.

For today's episode, Tyrell and Daphne explore the root causes of mass incarceration by discussing John Pfaff's Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration-and How to Achieve Real Reform. They begin the episode by catching up (00:30) and discussing “Oh Lawd” news (7:32). They then turn their attention to the topic of the week by sharing their general impressions of Locked In (36:28), discussing the importance of looking beyond the War on Drugs as a cause of mass incarceration (40:15), and highlighting the role of states and counties in the growth of the prison population (43:30). They close the episode by discussing the “new narrative” around mass incarceration and the role of prosecutors and violent crime in prison growth and reform (48:20).  Resources:  BhD Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/bhdpodcast  The Dark Side of Reform- https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781793643759/The-Dark-Side-of-Reform-Exploring-the-Impact-of-Public-Policy-on-Racial-EquityDiscount Code (30% Off): LXFANDF30 Locked In - https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/john-pfaff/locked-in/9780465096916/ 

There's a roiling debate here in California over crime and what to do about it, with progressive prosecutors in the two of the state's most important cities under fire facing recall elections: San Francisco D.A. Chesa Boudin and Los Angeles D.A. (formerly of San Francisco) George Gascón. The public perception of soaring crime is not entirely supported by the statistics, and even where murders and shootings are up, is it fair to blame the district attorneys? How much does their approach to crime-fighting really affect what happens on the street? For more, KCBS Radio political reporter and State of California host Doug Sovern spoke to John Pfaff, professor of law at Fordham University. 

Efforts to reform the justice system often tout they're “evidence-based” or “data-driven.” But at a moment when a national increase in crime, likely triggered by the pandemic, seems to have put the reform movement on its heels, why do arguments based on data rarely seem to win the day? Guests Christina Greer and John Pfaff … Continue reading Why Data Doesn't Stick →

In recent months, a wave of champions of the “tough on crime” approach to criminal justice have been trumpeting a spike in U.S. homicides in 2020 as fodder for rolling back critical reforms to America's broken criminal legal system, and for scaremongering about the so-called defund the police movement. Meanwhile, criminal justice experts caution that efforts to blame the uptick in homicides on criminal justice reform aren't just unfounded but are in fact directly contradicted by the very crime data the tough-on-crimers are trying to spin. As Fordham Law professor John Pfaff has put it: the rise in homicides last year actually “by and large took place on the status quo's watch.” So, for a look at what we know and what we don't know about the 2020 crime data—and the shifting politics around criminal justice reform—Rebecca sat down with Ames Grawert, senior counsel at the Brennan Center and Josh Hoe, the policy analyst at Safe and Just Michigan and the host of the Decarceration Nation podcast. For more: Here's an incredibly data-rich rebuttal to tough-on-crimers' efforts to pin the uptick in homicides on reform—from John Pfaff in The New Republic Read more on the Office of Legal Counsel memo that will send thousands of people back to prison if Biden doesn't withdraw it Dig into Ames's analysis on how criminal justice involvement deepens inequality Here's more on the momentum for “clean slate” automatic record-clearing programs in the states—and a new bill introduced in Congress to create a federal grant program to help states cover the costs of implementing them

In recent months, a wave of champions of the “tough on crime” approach to criminal justice have been trumpeting a spike in U.S. homicides in 2020 as fodder for rolling back critical reforms to America's broken criminal legal system, and for scaremongering about the so-called defund the police movement. Meanwhile, criminal justice experts caution that efforts to blame the uptick in homicides on criminal justice reform aren't just unfounded but are in fact directly contradicted by the very crime data the tough-on-crimers are trying to spin. As Fordham Law professor John Pfaff has put it: the rise in homicides last year actually “by and large took place on the status quo's watch.”  So, for a look at what we know and what we don't know about the 2020 crime data—and the shifting politics around criminal justice reform—Rebecca sat down with Ames Grawert, senior counsel at the Brennan Center and Josh Hoe, the policy analyst at Safe and Just Michigan and the host of the Decarceration Nation podcast.  For more: Here's an incredibly data-rich rebuttal to tough-on-crimers' efforts to pin the uptick in homicides on reform—from John Pfaff in The New Republic  Read more on the Office of Legal Counsel memo that will send thousands of people back to prison if Biden doesn't withdraw it  Dig into Ames's analysis on how criminal justice involvement deepens inequality  Here's more on the momentum for “clean slate” automatic record-clearing programs in the states—and a new bill introduced in Congress to create a federal grant program to help states cover the costs of implementing them

John Pfaff describes how the pandemic lockdown helped push down many crimes, but last year saw an unprecedented spike in homicides nationwide, likely more than twice the largest previous one-year rise. The spike in homicides will surely alter the politics of reform, now and in the years ahead.Was there a COVID crime wave? Are shooting underreported or over-reported? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode is an interview of Ngina Chiteji, an associate professor of economics at NYU. She does research on wealth and savings, crime, and inequality. She is on the editorial board of the Review of Black Political Economy, and co-editor of a volume on wealth accumulation in communities of color. In it we discuss criminal justice reform and mass incarceration, with special attention to the “invisible punishments” that accompany an encounter with the justice system, including fines, debt, reductions of civil rights, and long-term labor market penalties. Chiteji is particularly interested in the way we think about justice and morality, and so she also gives us a tour of different ways we can think about what justice should look like, to help us do a better job shaping public policy. Ngina Chiteji at NYU (https://gallatin.nyu.edu/people/faculty/nc518.html) Articles and Reports discussed in this episode: Chiteji (2017) Prodigal Sons: Incarceration, Punishment, and Morality. Faith & Economics. (http://christianeconomists.org/2018/02/05/prodigal-sons-incarceration-punishment-and-morality-chiteji/) Chiteji (2021) Wealth and Retirement: Pondering the Fate of Formerly Incarcerated Men During the Golden Years. Review of Black Political Economy. (https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy.hope.edu/doi/full/10.1177/0034644620964914) Becker (1968). Crime and punishment: An economic approach. Journal of Political Economy (https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.hope.edu/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-62853-7_2) National Research Council Report (2014) The Growth of Incarceration in the United States: Exploring Causes and Consequences. (https://www.nap.edu/catalog/18613/the-growth-of-incarceration-in-the-united-states-exploring-causes) Books Locked In by John Pfaff (2017) A Pound of Flesh by Alexes Harris (2016) What Money Can't Buy by Michael Sandel (2012) Anger and Forgiveness by Martha Nussbaum (2016) Ending Overcriminalization and Mass Incarceration by Anthony Bradley (2018) Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (2015) Moral Tribes by Joshua Greene (2014) The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt (2012) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/faithfuleconomy/support

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Matt sits down with John Pfaff, professor and author of Locked Up, an influential and important 2017 book about mass incarceration in America. The two discuss some common misconceptions about America's prison population, three different meanings of the term "broken windows," and what might be the true cause of the current trending rise in violent crime across the nation. Resources: Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform by John Pfaff (2017; Basic Books) Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Levoy (2015; One World) "Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach" by Gary S. Becker (Journal of Political Economy v. 76 no. 2, Mar.-Apr. 1968) Uneasy Peace: The Great Crime Decline, the Renewal of City Life, and the Next War on Violence by Patrick Sharkey (2019; W.W. Norton) The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs (1961) "Broken Windows: The police and neighborhood safety" by George L. Kelling and James Q. Wilson (March 1982; The Atlantic) Guest: John Pfaff (@JohnFPfaff), author; professor, Fordham Law School Host: Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com Credits: Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer As the Biden administration gears up, we'll help you understand this unprecedented burst of policymaking. Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter. The Weeds is a Vox Media Podcast Network production. Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts About Vox Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's easy to want to throw the book at someone who's engaged in some egregious conduct, but it's harder to understand what even seemingly minor punishments entail. Author and criminal justice scholar John Pfaff discusses the incentives inherent in the way criminal justice is carried out in America. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Mary Moriarty, career Public Defender (PD) and chief of the Hennepin County PD's Office in Minneapolis, provides a much needed perspective into the work of a PD, countering the public perception of PDs being public pretenders. Additionally Mary offers insight as to role prosecutors and judges can play in holding officers accountable and criminal system reform. Mary also talks briefly about the good trouble she's gotten herself into speaking out about problems within the criminal system as well as racial disparities. Mary is an avid reader and has provided a list of must read books that she first thinks anyone working in the system should read as well as visitors to The Waiting Room.  Mary's Reads:  “The Warmth of Other Suns” - Isabel Wilkerson    This is a beautifully written narrative about three black families who moved from the south to northern cities during the great migration movement of the 20th century.  Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, this work is essential reading for Minnesotans who want to understand the challenges that African-Americans faced when they moved here, and still face today.  "Locking Up Our Own" – George Forman Jr.      This Pulitzer Prize winning book, written by the son of a prominent leader in the civil rights movement, tells the story of how black politicians (including Eric Holder), judges, and police chiefs embraced tough on crime initiatives that devastated communities of color in Washington D.C. during the war on drugs. A former public defender, James Foreman, Jr. uses his clients' stories to show how punitive these measures were.    "Locked In" – Jon Pfaff Much of what we read attributes mass incarceration to the war on drugs, but this book challenges that assumption by pointing out that even if we released everyone jailed on drug offenses, the U.S. would still have the highest incarceration rate in the world. John Pfaff focuses instead on the charging and negotiation practices of prosecutors, and demonstrates that if we are serious about reducing our prison population, we need to address sentences for violent crimes.   "Picking Cotton" – Erin Torneo, Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, and Ronald Cotton This book was written by rape victim Jennifer Thompson, and the man she wrongfully accused of attacking her, Ronald Cotton.  Cotton spent 12 years in prison before DNA revealed the true perpetrator, leading Jennifer Thompson to search for the reason her identification was wrong despite being absolutely convinced she was correct. Cotton and Thompson alternate chapters telling the story from their unique perspectives. This is an excellent book for those who want to understand how the frailties of human memory can lead determined victims and well-meaning cops to create a dynamic leading to wrongful convictions.     "Just Mercy" – Bryan Stevenson  Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama, movingly writes about his experiences as a black man representing poor men and women caught in an unjust system. EJI is a non-profit committed to changing the narrative about race in America. Stevenson most recently completed construction of The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the country's first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved black people. His work connects slavery to mass incarceration.    "Insane" – Alisa Roth So many people in the criminal justice system struggle with mental health issues because we have simply criminalized mental illness instead of properly funding mental health resources. Alisa Roth explains how those with mental illness have been treated since colonial times, long before people were released from asylums without a proper safety net in the 60s.  Using compelling case studies from around the country, she reveals the devastating consequences of incarceration on the mentally ill and their families, and argues for more successful and humane alternatives.    "Slavery by Another Name" – Douglas A. Blackmon Many people believe that slavery ended with the civil war, but Douglas Blackmon's book documents the forced labor of black men and women, who were jailed on made-up crimes so they could be leased to do the work of formerly enslaved people.  Blackmon writes of “Black Codes,” laws passed by legislatures to justify pretext arrests to fill the jails with people who were then leased to private corporations and landowners. This work is critical to understanding one way in which the legal system was used to sustain white supremacy.   "The New Jim Crow" – Michelle Alexander  Michelle Alexander's book connects slavery, Jim Crow, and the war on drugs as racist systems of control.  She provides historical context for policies that allowed police to operate with little oversight – stopping, searching, and seizing people of color at will.  Ms. Alexander effectively demonstrates that the war on drugs was intended to be a war on black people, whom republicans viewed as more likely to vote for democrats.  This award winning book, published in 2010, changed the way many view race and the criminal justice system.     "Charged" –  Emily Bazelon Emily Bazelon beautifully tell the stories of a teenage girl accused of murdering her mother and a young man who possessed a gun to demonstrate the relatively unchecked power prosecutors have in the criminal justice system. Prosecutors decide whether a person will be charged and with what offense.  They have complete control over whether to offer a plea negotiation, the details of which may impact the client the rest of his or her life.   "My Grandmother's Hands" – Resmaa Menakem Minneapolis therapist Resmaa Menakem writes that racism has caused physical trauma in everyone and that the path to wellness is understanding the trauma that resides deep within our bodies. Although the reasons why white, black and blue (police) bodies have experienced trauma from white supremacism differ, we will not work through our racial divide until we heal from the generational impact of trauma.  At the end of each chapter, Dr. Menakem offers exercises and practices designed to heal our bodies from trauma.    "Colony in a Nation" – Chris Hayes Journalist Chris Hayes uses the framework of a Nation and a Colony to discuss why measures of racial inequality – incarceration, income, employment, home ownership – haven't improved since 1968.  Within our Nation exists a Colony, where fear leads to aggressive policing, which infringes on civil rights.  Policing in the Colony resembles occupation, which has led to the conditions that lead to the uprisings in Baltimore and Ferguson.   "Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission" – Barry E. Friedman Barry Friedman's book outlines the problems we have created by refusing to police the police.  Illegal searches, warrantless stops, and invasive surveillance, enabled by sophisticated technology, are just a few of the issues that plague our country.  Add race and class to the mix and we need serious reform, which starts with the question, “What do we want the police to do?”     "Between the World and Me" – Ta-Neisi Coates This book is a letter to the author's 15 year old son about how to live in a black body in this country.  The death of one of Ta-Neisi Coates's classmates, at the hands of the police, caused him to reflect on this country's history of destroying black bodies. The heart of the narrative is that race is a social construct and that people who identify as white do not believe they benefit from white privilege. If they achieve what he calls the “dream,” it is because of their own abilities and efforts.      "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI" - David Grann   David Grann's book investigates one chapter of white genocide against Native Americans.  After oil was discovered under their land, making them among the richest people per capita in the world, members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma Nation began to be murdered.  As the death toll climbed, the FBI began its first major homicide investigation, which it botched.  Although official records claim about twenty people were murdered, Grann's detailed reporting reveals hundreds of victims.  "Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America" - Richard Rothstein Richard Rothstein's book explains clearly how government policies, not individual choices, intentionally promoted residential racial segregation.  Rothstein dismantles many of the current myths about racial discrimination, such as black homeowners causing white homeowners property values to fall.  After documenting the intentional choices made by the government, Rothstein argues, contrary to the thinking of the U.S. Supreme Court, that there are constitutional remedies available to address these purposeful, discriminatory policies.         

You can find links to each of Sean's analysis pieces here. This article covers the week beginning July 5.The Crime Story Podcast has been ranked as the no. 10 Criminal Justice Podcast by  the "Content Reader" company Feedspot. 

Check out my website at crisisofcrime.com. If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider donating at patreon.com/crisisofcrime Today's episode is about the War on Drugs. I start off with the history of illegal substances in the US, and then explore two different perspectives on how the War on Drugs started. One perspective is from Michelle Alexander, the author of The New Jim Crow, and the other is John Pfaff, author of Locked In. Additionally, I take a deep dive into the racist dog-whistle politics behind the War on Drugs. I finish speaking about what would happen if we decriminalized or legalized illegal drugs. Sources for today's episode: WLM. (2020). Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup. The Wood Library Museum of Anesthesiology. Retrieved from: https://www.woodlibrarymuseum.org/museum/item/529/mrs.-winslow's-soothing-syrupHistorical Highlights. (2020). The Pure Food and Drug Act. History, Art, and Archives: The United States House of Representatives. Retrieved from: https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1901-1950/Pure-Food-and-Drug-Act/ DEA. (2020). Illegal Drugs in America. Drug Enforcement Administration Museum. Retrieved from: https://www.deamuseum.org/idatour/index.html Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914, S. 785, 63rd Congress, (1914). ReaganFoundation. (2011, Aug 3). President Reagan's Address to the Nation on the Campaign Against Drug Abuse [video]. Youtube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj8gAQ_cQ7QRichard Nixon Foundation. (2016, April 29). President Nixon Declares Drug Abuse “Public Enemy Number One” [video]. Youtube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8TGLLQlD9M Pfaff, J. (2017). Locked In: The true causes of mass incarceration and how to achieve real reform. New York, NY: Basic Books. Alexander, M. (2012). The New Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. New York, NY: New Press. RDL. (2020). The Rockefeller Drug Laws. The Blanch Law Firm. Retrieved from: https://www.theblanchlawfirm.com/practice-areas/other-matters-we-handle/the-rockefeller-drug-laws/

How to Move Forward(As Allies of the Black Community)-John Pfaff(6.14.2020,Sara&John Furste) by River NYC Sermons

On the Gist, dominating the streets with compassion. In the interview, John Pfaff, professor of law and criminology at Fordham University and author of Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration-and How to Achieve Real Reform, joins Mike to talk about police reformation, and why politicians touting low crime under their watches could lead to more dysfunction. As one of the foremost experts on incarceration in America, Pfaff argues that we need to rethink how the system and budgets are organized. In the spiel, Christopher Columbus and his mixed legacy. Email us at thegist@slate.com Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Gist, dominating the streets with compassion. In the interview, John Pfaff, professor of law and criminology at Fordham University and author of Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration-and How to Achieve Real Reform, joins Mike to talk about police reformation, and why politicians touting low crime under their watches could lead to more dysfunction. As one of the foremost experts on incarceration in America, Pfaff argues that we need to rethink how the system and budgets are organized. In the spiel, Christopher Columbus and his mixed legacy. Email us at thegist@slate.com Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coleman talks to John Pfaff, author and American law professor at Fordham University, about criminal justice, the true causes of mass incarceration and how to achieve reform. 

Coleman talks to John Pfaff, author and American law professor at Fordham University, about criminal justice, the true causes of mass incarceration and how to achieve reform.

John Pfaff is a law professor at Fordham University. He is the author of a groundbreaking work which looks at a series of data to analyze mass incarceration and the true causes of it and presents a path to achieve real reform. He argues that the "standard story" about mass incarceration is largely wrong. Mass incarceration is not drive by the war on drugs as some have argued and instead in order to get to the heart of the problem we have to address how we incarcerate the most serious offenders. On Everyday Injustice, the professor discusses this theory as well as his thoughts on criminal justice reform and the progressive prosecutor movement.

Whether or not you think you hold them, stereotypes shape the lives of everyone on Earth. As human beings, we lack the ability to judge each situation as unique and different…and how we group novel experiences by our past conditioning, as helpful as it often is, creates extraordinary complications in society. As modern life exposes us to an increasing number of encounters with the other in which we do not have time to form accurate models of someone   or some place’s true identity, we find ourselves in a downward spiral of self-reinforcing biases — transforming how we practice law enforcement, justice, and life online. Our polarized, irrational world calls for an intense look at what it will take to humanize each other — at traffic stops, in court, on social media, and anywhere our doubt about an unfamiliar face can lead to tragic consequences.This week’s guest is Rajiv Sethi, Professor of Economics at Columbia University and External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute. In this episode, we discuss how biases in our attention and cognition lead to unfair outcomes on the streets and on the Web, and where we can look for hope in countervailing strategies.Visit our website for more information or to support our science and communication efforts.Join our Facebook discussion group to meet like minds and talk about each episode.Shadows of Doubt: Stereotypes, Crime, and the Pursuit of Justice by Brendan O’Flaherty & Rajiv Sethi (Harvard University Press).Rajiv’s Website.Albert Kao & Iain Couzin on collective intelligence and modular societies.Aumann’s agreement theorem.“We can’t disagree forever” (Geanakopolos & Polemarchakis).Raissa D’Souza on the Collapse of Networks.Geoffrey West on scaling laws and cities.Music by Mitch Mignano.Follow us on social media:Twitter • YouTube • Facebook • Instagram • LinkedIn

ABOUT THIS EPISODE John Pfaff is Professor of Law at Fordham University, and has areas of expertise that include prisons, criminal law, and sentencing law. Michael Rocque is Associate Professor of Sociology at Bates College, and his areas of expertise include criminological theory, racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and desistance from crime. He has also worked as Senior Research Advisor with the Maine Department of Corrections. In this episode, we use the recent death of Jeffrey Epstein as well as ongoing mass shootings as jumping off points for a wide-ranging conversation about jail and prison conditions, mental illness and mass public shootings, criminal justice reform, and more, including discussion of at least one U.S. presidential candidate. LINKS --John Pfaff's Fordham profile (https://www.fordham.edu/info/23171/john_pfaff) --Mike Rocque's Bates profile (https://www.bates.edu/sociology/faculty/michael-rocque/) --Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform (by John Pfaff) (https://www.amazon.com/Locked-Causes-Incarceration-Achieve-Reform/dp/0465096913) --"Actually, there is a clear link between mass shootings and mental illness," (by Grant Duwe and Michael Rocque, for the Los Angeles Times) (https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-duwe-rocque-mass-shootings-mental-illness-20180223-story.html) --Stephanie Kelley-Romano's Bates profile (https://www.bates.edu/rhetoric-film-screen-studies/faculty/kelley-romano-stephanie/) --"What we know about the conditions at the prison where Jeffrey Epstein died," (from National Public Radio) (https://www.npr.org/2019/08/14/751235936/what-we-know-about-the-conditions-at-the-prison-where-jeffrey-epstein-died) --Wiki entry on the Prison Litigation Reform Act (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_Litigation_Reform_Act) --"America's most interesting sheriff" (Economist article on Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart) (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2019/08/08/americas-most-interesting-sheriff) --Rocque's Scholars Strategy Network profile (https://scholars.org/scholar/michael-rocque) --"Megan Rapinoe did not stomp on the flag. Here's why people got outraged regardless," (by Rocque, for Newsweek) (https://www.newsweek.com/megan-rapinoe-did-not-stomp-flag-heres-why-people-got-outraged-regardless-opinion-1449030) --"Justice and safety for all," (Bernie Sanders's criminal justice reform plan) (https://berniesanders.com/issues/criminal-justice-reform/) Special Guests: John Pfaff and Mike Rocque.

Josh interviews Fordham University Professor of Law and author John Pfaff about his book and work as a criminolgist.

America This Week This week's guest is John Pfaff. We discuss his article Why today's criminal justice reform efforts won't end mass incarceration. We also discuss these articles: Pope Francis approves four priorities for the Jesuits’ next decade Vatican emphasizes transparency and accountability at upcoming sex abuse summit Catholic leaders resist Trump’s ‘national emergency’ plan to fund border wall

Ep 58: Wellness & Wack Democrats Money & Nikeeta are back from break and kicking off 20FINEteen talking wellness, wack democrats, and curved chronicles! Contribute to QueerWOC: https://www.paypal.me/QueerWOC IMPORTANT UPDATE: We have immediately stopped using PayPal. To make a donation or buy merch use CashAPP. $QueerWOCPod Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/queerwocpod Use the hashtag #QueerWOC to talk all things the podcast Send us an email or submit your Curved Chronicles: QueerWOCpod@gmail.com Book us for Stonewall 50th 00:06:33 QueerPOC of the Week (Some tech. difficulties in this segment so the audio's a bit off.) T.L. Lewis @talilaLewis Profile of T. L.Lewis that also highlights the case of John Wilson Jr. https://psmag.com/social-justice/the-30-top-thinkers-under-30-the-law-clerk-working-to-promote-justice-for-the-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing H.E.A.R.D. (Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of Deaf Communities) Learn more about HEARD here: http://behearddc.org/ Lewis’ Syllabus “Disability in the Age of Mass Incarceration Syllabus https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J1QaOHV4wNb2zM0VqOufyex1z4piJ9edPQPaI3Rk9Og/edit 00:12:32 Community Contributors Soliana, Shawnon, Amira, Shantise, Dey Link to Mignon Moore’s article “Lipsticks and Timbs” about Black lesbians gender presentation, and coming out. http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/index.php/pwp/article/download/1011/393/ Check out Shawnon Corprew’s wonderful book of poetry, “Where the Color Purple Grows: The Intersection of Loving and Fearing Black Queer Bodies”: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Color-Purple-Grows-Intersection/dp/1717081061 Congrats, and love to Dey, @lovelydey, who will be appearing on Canada’s “The Launch” Check out Dey’s smooth and dreamy vocals on her bop, “Sandman” Link to Sandman here: https://soundcloud.com/itsthatns/dey-sandman 00:24:37 Mental Moment with Money 7 Dimensions of Wellness Physical - Moving, eating well, sexual health screenings, sleep Social - Having a strong social network that provides support and guidance, social connectedness Environmental - Relationship with the Earth and your personal surroundings, declutter, recycle, you are a part of the ecosystem Financial - Planning financially, creating a budget, paying attention to your means Spiritual - Understanding and reevaluating the beliefs, valuels, and ethics that guide your life Emotional - Managing your emotions and feeling in control of them, Therapy, managing stress, managing anger, managing depression... Intellectual - Staying engaged in learning new things, new hobby, reading, puzzles, stay aware of sciopolitical issues 00:44:01 Word - Kamala tho? Delve into record of prosecutin’ & mass incarceratin’ Kamala Harris. Links from segment: Michelle Alexander’s New Jim Crow: http://newjimcrow.com/ Hannah Giorgis’ review of Kamala’s book “The Truths We Hold” (‘progressive prosecutor’ comes from here) https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/01/kamala-harris-truths-we-hold-review/579430/ Adam Gopnik’s Review of John Pfaff’s book, “Locked In” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/10/how-we-misunderstand-mass-incarceration “Better Off Red” podcast interview with Kevin Cooper, the Black man on death row framed by San Bernadino Country Sherriff’s Department* (I accidentally said Sacremento) https://soundcloud.com/betteroffredpod/22-kevin-cooper-live-from-death-row Branko Marcetic’s Jacobin article “The Two Faces of Kamala Harris” https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/08/kamala-harris-trump-obama-california-attorney-general 1:23:50 No Topic this week Submit topics via #QueerWOC or shoot us an email at queerwocpod@gmail.com. 01:24:27 Curved Chronicles Money and Nikeeta talk about a little friendship tiff, Money has adventure w/ Boston Baddie Brigade, and Nikeeta & book took a jaunt to New Orleans. Email us your dating adventures at QueerWOCpod@gmail.com Follow Money| IG/Twitter @MelanatedMoney Follow Nikeeta| IG/Twitter @AfroBlazingGuns

Josh interviews Jared "Jay" Ware about prison abolitionism. Kathy and I finished our most recent Orange Is the New Black recap (Season 6 Episode 3). Jared "Jay" Ware is a prison abolitionist, freelance writer, co-host of the podcast Millennials Are Killing Capitalism and producer of the Beyond Prisons podcast. His work has been published with Shadowproof.com, The New Inquiry, In These Times, SF Bay View, Worker's World, Off Tha Record, and Hampton Institute. Students for a Democratic Society had a storied and important history in American political activism. Hopefully, most people remember the police and state violence that resulted in the deaths of Mike Brown, Tamie Rice, Eric Garner, and Sandra Brown as well as the situation in Ferguson Missouri. We have talked about Michelle Alexanders book "The New Jim Crow" many times before on this podcast. Angela Y Davis book "Are Prisons Obsolete" is a relatively quick read but very fundamental to understanding prison abolition. The site Critical Resistance is a very good starting place for investigating stories about abolition and resistance to statist power. It is also the home to "The Abolitionist" newspaper. I suspect Jay was referring to Elizabeth Hinton's book "From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime" A good place to start on the thinking of Michelle Foucault is in his book "Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison." Bryan Burrough's book "Days of Rage" discusses revolutionary violent groups in the United States. My favorite book about John Brown is "Patriotic Treason" by Evan Carton. W.E.B Dubois scathing critique of popular notions of slavery and of reconstruction was called "Black Reconstruction in America" Jay's interview with prisoners after the Lee Correctional Riot provides an important counter-narrative to the "official story" of what happened in South Carolina a few months ago. It is important to read the full list of demands around the August 21st Strike. We have covered Restorative Justice many times on the podcast, this is the first time we have talked about Transformative Justice. This is a piece from Mariame Kaba from her site Prison Culture. Some of the people Jay shouted out were: Jailhouse Lawyers Speak Kinetic Justice (Free Alabama Movement) Mariame Kaba Frantz Fanon Jackie Wang's book "Carceral Capitalism" I will try and fill in the ones I am missing over time. The DOJ Letter I was referring to was in response to the Federal First Step Act. Elizabeth Warren has been getting blasted by police, prosecutors, and correctional officers for her statement that our criminal justice system is racist (I suspect most of this is political posturing since what she said is factually correct). If you want to know more about why what she said was factually correct, you can listen to all of the early episodes of this podcast or read this overview of the evidence. The National Review article that mentions John Pfaff as an answer to Elizabeth Warren's claim can be found here. John Pfaff's response can be found in this Twitter thread. Tom Cotton's argument about Mass Incarceration was a real thing (can't make this stuff up).

Who has had the biggest impact on the growth of our incarceration system? It’s not the judge, the jury, or the legislator. It’s not the police, and it's certainly not the President. It’s someone else—the prosecutor. Prosecutors are getting more attention now than ever, but many people still don’t know what they do.   Prosecutors don’t just play an important role at trial. It is prosecutors who recommend what bail a judge should set, prosecutors who decide whether a person should face criminal charges and what those charges should be, and prosecutors who control the plea deal process. Perhaps more than anyone else, prosecutors are responsible for our mass incarceration epidemic. On this episode, we’ll explore the impact prosecutors have and take a look at how they wield their immense power. We’ll talk about the problems with prosecutors, and their excessive power, negative incentives, and almost total lack accountability. We’ll also talk to John Pfaff, a lawyer, economist, and prosecutor expert, whose book, Locked In, examines the power of prosecutors.  Want to know more? Check out theappeal.org

Josh discusses the recent compromise promising a combination of the First Step Act with the best parts of the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act. You can read our most recent Orange Is the New Black Recap or look back through all of the recaps. Kathy Morse was one of the inmates featured in the Bill Moyers documentary "Rikers: Am American Jail." Our original First Step Act episode of this podcast was Episode 18 and featured Ames Grawert of the Brennan Center, Jessica Jackson Sloan of Cut 50, and Jason Pye of FreedomWorks. Janie and Buzz founded the Prison Creative Arts Project at the University of Michigan. The President and House and Senate Leadership moved recently to combine the First Step Act and Chuck Grassley's Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act. In case you forgot, Prisons and Jails, as currently constructed don't make us safer. You can read the different sections of the First Step Act to see why Jeff Sessions is not given unprecedented or unaccountable power. Recently, the Brennan Center for Justice, a former opponent has indicated that they are likely to support the new compromise legislation. Distance matters and this article is a good summary of the evidence for why visitation and distance are critical to better prisoner outcomes. The Mandatory Minimums quote came from this great article by Erik Luna. The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act included new mandatory minimums. The Department of Justice Letter opposing the First Step Act was almost as shocking as Senator Grassley's response. My friend Jason Pye and his co-worker Sarah Anderson at FreedomWorks wrote a very detailed response to the DOJ letter. Here is a great summary of the problems with electronic monitoring. I do not think that John Pfaff has written an article about privatization but I have had many conversations about this issue on Twitter.

Josie Duffy-Rice, an attorney with the Fair Punishment Project, spoke with me about a variety of topics related to criminal justice, including efforts at reform, the ideas of author (and new New York Times columnist) Michelle Alexander, prosecutors (including progressive ones), and race and crime. You should check out this episode, and also follow Josie's Twitter feed. LINKS Fair Punishment Project (http://fairpunishment.org/) Michelle Alexander's book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (http://newjimcrow.com/) Michelle Alexander joins The New York Times (https://www.theroot.com/michelle-alexander-joins-the-new-york-times-opinion-pag-1827053777) John Pfaff's book Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L6SLKK8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) Prosecutor Criticized Over Laquan McDonald Case Is Defeated In Primary (https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/us/prosecutor-criticized-over-laquan-mcdonald-case-is-defeated-in-primary.html) Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx Announces Release of Office's First Data Report (https://www.cookcountystatesattorney.org/news/cook-county-state-s-attorney-kim-foxx-announces-release-office-s-first-online-data-report) Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner Promised a Criminal Justice Revolution. He's Exceeding Expectations (https://theintercept.com/2018/03/20/larry-krasner-philadelphia-da/) Josie Duffy-Rice on Twitter (https://twitter.com/jduffyrice) 10% of U.S. Counties Now 'Majority-Minority' (https://www.prb.org/majority-minority/) Cover art credit: Toby Hudson (public domain, from Wikimedia Commons) Special Guest: Josie Duffy Rice.

Jessa and Nick talk about prosecutorial discretion, immunity, and ethics.  Referenced in this episode: SCR Wisconsin, John Pfaff's book Locked In.

Josh and Joel discuss mental health care in America's Jails and Prisons. The Bureau of Justice Statistics article details the high prevalence of mental health problems in prisons and jails. The results of the Michigan House C.A.R.E.S. task force were compiled into this report. My Daily Kos article, that Joel refers to, was one of my most popular. Tom Dart is an important figure, he was on 60 minutes, he put out a really influential guide on mental health care in prisons and jails, and he also has been oddly resistant to bail reform (given some of his statements on the appropriateness of jails and prisons). Mr. Dart also hired a psychologist as warden at Cook County Jail, which IMO makes a lot of sense. There are a lot of popular press articles that give good summaries of the deinstitutionalization of American Mental Health facilities decades ago. John Pfaff discusses the strange incentives that are often set up at the county level to push people to State facilities in his book "Locked In." Some folks have suggested a wider set of solutions for people with mental health problems facing trials. For instance, adding mental health treatment options in sentencing. Much of the resistance to better care starts in our jails and prisons themselves, the Bazelon Institute does good work in this area. There is also resistance to treatment by prisoners, this relatively recent article discusses toxic masculinity as a core cause of this resistance. Even the World Health Organization concludes that starting from the premise that we should treat prisoners with dignity is important to delivering good mental health outcomes. Heather Ann Thompson wrote the Pulitzer Prize Winning book Blood in the Water (one of my favorites). The quote I read was from one of her popular press articles. Most of the rest of the research around the different policy suggestions were extensively cited in my Daily Kos article.

On ‘New Thinking,’ author John Pfaff outlines his argument for how prosecutors have contributed to mass incarceration and considers how much can be expected from the emerging breed of progressive D.A.’s. This is the first in our podcast series on the power of prosecutors. Full show notes (includes pictures, resources, and episode transcript)

According to Fordham University law professor John Pfaff (https://www.fordham.edu/info/23171/john_pfaff), the U.S. has experienced substantial growth in incarceration rates over the past several decades, and now has a higher incarceration rate than all other industrialized countries, and virtually all countries in general. He says that there is a "standard story" that attempts to explain why incarceration is so prevalent in the U.S. That story points to such factors as longer sentences, the "War on Drugs," and private prisons. According to Pfaff, these are indeed problems, but they are relatively minor contributors to the high levels of U.S. incarceration. In this interview (and in his book (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L6SLKK8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)) he describes the factors that his data indicate are actually central, and also describes possible reforms. (Special thanks to the Bates College Digital Media Studios, and especially Colin Kelley) Special Guest: John Pfaff.

Wednesday on The Gist, John Pfaff refuted the conventional wisdom about mass incarceration. Thursday, Pfaff explains some of the obstacles to reform. Pfaff’s book is Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration—and How to Achieve Real Reform.  In the Spiel, a loyally honest review of James Comey’s testimony.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wednesday on The Gist, John Pfaff refuted the conventional wisdom about mass incarceration. Thursday, Pfaff explains some of the obstacles to reform. Pfaff’s book is Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration—and How to Achieve Real Reform.  In the Spiel, a loyally honest review of James Comey’s testimony.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Pfaff is on a mission to topple the well-worn myths of the U.S. prison population boom. He says the data tells us to focus on the district attorneys, not the Department of Justice. Pfaff teaches at Fordham University School of Law and is the author of Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform. This is Part I of our interview with Pfaff -- listen tomorrow for Part II. In the Spiel, how are YOU celebrating Infrastructure Week? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Pfaff is on a mission to topple the well-worn myths of the U.S. prison population boom. He says the data tells us to focus on the district attorneys, not the Department of Justice. Pfaff teaches at Fordham University School of Law and is the author of Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform. This is Part I of our interview with Pfaff -- listen tomorrow for Part II. In the Spiel, how are YOU celebrating Infrastructure Week? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, about 2.2 million Americans are behind bars. "The incarceration rate is about five times the rate of 1970 and our crime rate is the same as in 1970,"John Pfaff, our guest, tells us. Our guest, John Pfaff of Fordham University is both a law professor and an economist. Author of "Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration—and How to Achieve Real Reform," he says state and local policies matter far more than changes in the federal system. Do you want to know more? Check out our website: http://www.howdowefixit.me/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sarah, Ezra, and Matt talk about the real causes of mass incarceration, Trump's move to roll back contraceptive coverage, and the mysterious world of high-end credit cards.Links!German Lopez’s piece about John Pfaff’s “Locked in” Mark A.R. Kleiman, Angela Hawken, and Ross Halperin on graduated reentry as prison reform.Today’s white paper, "Status Goods: Experimental Evidence from Platinum Credit Cards" Our Weeds in the Wild Episode about birth control Ezra Klein’s conversation with Chris Hayes about “A Colony in a Nation” Jon Bois excellent video, The Dumbest Boy in the WorldBooks!"Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration" by John Pfaff"The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander"A Colony in a Nation" by Chris Hayes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Pfaff joins us this week to talk about the United States’s unusually high rate of incarceration. How many Americans are in prison or in jail? What did they do to get there?If we have roughly the same crime rate as we did in 1970, but have five times as many people in prison as we did then, what are those extra people in prison for?Show Notes and Further ReadingPfaff’s book is Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration—and How to Achieve Real Reform (2017).Other books mentioned in this episode:Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America (2015) by Jill LeovyLocking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America (2017) by James Forman, Jr.Ordinary Injustice: How America Holds Court (2010) by Amy BachListeners may also be interested in our Free Thoughts podcast episode with Bernard Kerik, “From Jailer to Jailed: Bernard Kerik’s Story.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There is a growing consensus that America imprisons too many people.  Americans constitute 5 percent of the world’s population and yet we hold nearly one quarter of its prisoners. In his new book, Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform, law professor John Pfaff argues that the War on Drugs and other federal policies receive outsized attention in the popular movements for criminal justice reform while local institutional actors go virtually unmentioned. According to Pfaff, the charging decisions of local prosecutors have been a key driver of prison growth since the early 1990s. Please join us for a lively discussion about police, prosecutors, sentencing, and our burgeoning prison population. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

All across these United States, we put lots and lots of people in jail. Is that a good thing? Or are there costs, not all of them monetary, that we need to take into account? John Pfaff, a professor at Fordham Law School, thinks that maybe, just maybe, there's a problem here that needs addressing. He’s written a book, "Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform," in which he discusses both the problems with imprisoning so many people, and some ways to stop doing so much of it.

Yes, it's tempting to think this would be about you-know-who. But the Oscar nominated documentary 13th vividly describes the devastation of how we lock people up, how America has 5% of the world's population but 25% of the world's prisoners, and how the consequences for African Americans drive a lot of things, including our political races. John Pfaff (published on the subject in the NY Times and The New Yorker and The Economist and the author of a definitive new book) and Theo Hunt (an African American manager at a Fortune 500 company who conducted a recent study of police traffic stops) join Tom and Dave for a vibrant conversation.

I discuss the tragic story of John Pfaff, and his trial with Post Finasteride Syndrome.

When thinking about America’s prison problem, at some point we’re going to have to begin asking how we’re going to treat violent offenders differently. On The Gist, Fordham law professor John Pfaff joins us for the rest of our extended interview. Listen back to Monday’s Gist to hear the first part of our short series. For the Spiel, Mike solves more of America’s problems. Today’s sponsors: Casper, the online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting casper.com/gist and using the promo code GIST.  RealtyShares. With RealtyShares, you can invest in professionally vetted residential and commercial real estate projects across the United States. Browse all the investments at no cost once you’re qualified, invest as little as $1,000 per transaction, and diversify your portfolio by visiting RealtyShares.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re 42 or younger, you’ve never lived in a safer America than today. But if you were alive in 1960, today’s crime rates are twice as high as they were then. Could that be why older politicians are resisting prison reform? On The Gist, Fordham law professor John Pfaff joins us for an extended interview. This is the first of a short series about America’s prison problem. Join us on Tuesday for a new Spiel. Today’s sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just Christian and Joe focusing on a few topics from listener feedback. Our discussion includes: BPA-free containers, Joe’s health, John Pfaff in the news on prison reform and mass incarceration, Pluto and seagulls, listener Anthony’s good news, the Church of Marijuana, religious exemptions, racist appointments, what “tuition” means, how to choose a law school, how to prepare for law school (we disagree), what law schools should be, and feedback we decide to delay. This show’s links: Oral Argument 51: The Faucet (guest John Pfaff) German Lopez, Mass Incarceration in America, Explained in 28 Maps and Charts (vox.com) Oliver Roeder, Releasing Drug Offenders Won’t End Mass Incarceration (538.com) Oral Argument 6: Productive Thoughtlessness Emily Lakdawalla, First Look at New Horizons' Pluto and Charon images: “Baffling in a Very Interesting and Wonderful Way" The picture of the comet About Leviathan Monica Davey, A Church of Cannabis Tests Limits of Religious Law in Indiana Oral Argument 66: You’re Never Going to Get It All Done (guest Kareem Crayton) Oral Argument 12: Heart of Darkness (about the US News rankings) Alexia Brunet Marks and Scott Moss, What Makes a Law Student Succeed or Fail? A Longitudinal Study Correlating Law Student Applicant Data and Law School Outcomes Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on Free Will and on Retributive Justice

We hereby deliver an evening episode comprising role-playing, word pictures, and other podcasting art forms to convey critical information on, among other miscellany: Christian’s week of broken things, follow-up on lines, math and the book of true reasons, Mark Lemley’s article on “faith-based IP,” imagining Benjamin Franklin’s lightning powered potato peeler, iPhone copycats, and, morality aside, the death penalty’s stupidity, and the measure of a civilization. This show’s links: The Wirecutter and the Sweet Home Oral Argument 55: Cronut Lines The documentary about people competing to win a truck, Hands on a Hardbody Oral Argument 51: The Faucet (guest John Pfaff) Euclid’s Elements About Paul Erdős Mark Lemley, Faith-Based Intellectual Property Frank Michelman, Takings Mark Lemley, The Surprising Virtues of Treating Trade Secrets as IP Rights International News Service v. Associated Press SCOTUSblog on Glossip v. Gross Associated Press, Utah Brings Back Firing Squads as Lethal Injection Drugs Remain Scarce About Cameron Todd Willingham Oral Argument 45: Sacrifice About “death-qualified” juries

Why have prison populations exploded? Yeah, we bet you have an opinion on this. But we’ve got someone on the show with the math: Fordham law prof and empiricist extraordinaire John Pfaff. Everything you think you know about our staggering levels of imprisonment are probably wrong. Also, we offer to set up the Supreme Court audio live stream. Also we report on one listener’s Oral Argument power rankings. This show’s links: John Pfaff’s faculty profile and writing Blakely v. Washington and United States v. Booker United States v. Vernier, increasing a sentence for credit card fraud from up to 51 months to 210 months based on a conclusion that fraud was accompanied by a murder John Pfaff, The Continued Vitality of Structured Sentencing Following Blakely: The Effectiveness of Voluntary Guidelines Leon Neyfakh, Why Are So Many Americans in Prison? (interviewing John for Slate) (and here is the tweet from the Texas District and County Attorneys Association saying John’s theory is idiotic) John Pfaff, The Micro and Macro Causes of Prison Growth Joe Palazzolo, U.S. Prisons Grapple with Aging Populations Bureau of Justice Statistics, Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities David Ball, Why State Prisons? John Pfaff, The War on Drugs and Prison Growth: Limited Importance, Limited Legislative Options Special Guest: John Pfaff.