The "Willie Horton Effect" has long been cited for why politicians cannot risk being lenient towards people convicted of crimes. I've long cited it myself, but now I increasingly think the politics here are a lot more complicated.
Crime Decline, Prison Decline, September 11th, and the Peculiar Politics of Punishment
A famous Gallup poll is often cited by crime-studying types as evidence that Americans are ignorant about crime trends. I think it actually sheds some important light on how the politics of crime are really about broader, deeper fears.
A Request for Ideas for a Revamped Sentencing Law Course
As I think about how to redesign my seminar on Sentencing Law & Policy, I'd love to get people's ideas on good sources to use.
States’ Dismal Reaction to Covid in Prisons, Especially for the Elderly
With the availability of granular prison data for 2020, it has become clear that the population *most* at risk to suffer bad reactions to Covid--the elderly--was the one to *least* experience early release. In fact, in many states, the number of people over 65 in prison rose over 2020.
San Francisco: Boudin’s Election, Recall, and Why We Got the Lesson From It Wrong
A deep (and a bit long) dive into the election and recall of Chesa Boudin in San Francisco. A story the pundits jumped on, but didn't really get right.
Prosecutorial Elections
An introduction to my forthcoming series of county-specific posts of who votes for reform prosecutors, and the hyperlocal politics they face.
Prosecutorial Elections: Allegheny’s Illuminating Rematch
Allegheny's 2023 election of prosecutor provides a unique window for seeing just how powerful a role white suburbs can play in thwarting the efforts of more-Black urban neighborhoods to elect reform-minded prosecutors.
A Somewhat Unexpected (At Least To Me) “Decarceration Dividend”
As far as I can tell, there's been little work done examining how prison spending and employment have responded to declines in prison populations. This is an early first look, one that suggests there has been a real "decarceration dividend."
A Final (For Now) Look at Sentence Length: Those Still Serving
The final look (at least for now) of long sentences: what are those who have been in prison for decades but not yet released serving time for? And the answer, as before, is "a crime of violence."
A Second Look at Sentence Length: Looking at Release Cohorts
As part of my on-going look at what people are serving time in prison for, I look here at what crimes those who are released after decades in prison had been convicted of. It is, again, a story about violence.
Prisons, Prosecutors, and the Politics of Punishment 