Brennan Center for Justice
at New York University School of Law
TRANSITION 20202021
A Federal Agenda for Criminal Justice Reform
By Ram Subramanian, Lauren-Brooke Eisen, Taryn Merkl, Leily Arzy, Hernandez Stroud, Taylor King, Jackie Fielding, and Alia Nahra
PUBLISHED DECEMBER 9, 2020
With a foreword by Michael Waldman
Table of Contents
3
Brennan Center for Justice
A Federal Agenda for Criminal Justice Reform
ABOUT THE BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to reform, revitalize — and when necessary defend — our country’s systems of democracy and justice. The Brennan Center is dedicated to protecting the rule of law and the values of constitutional democracy. We focus on voting rights, campaign finance reform, ending mass incarceration, and preserving our liberties while also maintaining our national security. Part think tank, part advocacy group, part cutting-edge communications hub, we start with rigorous research. We craft innovative policies. And we fight for them — in Congress and the states, in the courts, and in the court of public opinion.
ABOUT THE BRENNAN CENTER’S JUSTICE PROGRAM
The Brennan Center’s Justice Program seeks to secure our nation’s promise of equal justice for all by creating a rational, effective, and fair justice system. Its priority focus is to reduce mass incarceration. The program melds law, policy, and economics to produce new empirical analyses and innovative policy solutions to advance this critical goal.
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Foreword
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5Introduction
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6Incentivize States to Reduce Their Prison Populations
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10
PASS THE REVERSE MASS INCARCERATION ACT
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10Advance Policing Reform
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Champion National Use-of-Force Standards ............................
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PLACE STRICT LIMITS ON PERMISSIBLE POLICE USE OF DEADLY AND NONDEADLY FORCE
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REQUIRE ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO ADOPT A DUTYTOINTERVENE POLICY
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MANDATE USEOFFORCE REPORTING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
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Strengthen Police Accountability Mechanisms ..........................
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AMEND 18 U.S.C. § 242
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REINVIGORATE DOJ PATTERNORPRACTICE INVESTIGATIONS
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CREATE A NATIONAL DATABASE OF POLICE MISCONDUCT RECORDS AND PROMOTE A NATIONAL STANDARD FOR DECERTIFICATION
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Support Culture Change in Policing ...................................
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SUPPORT COMMUNITYLED PUBLIC SAFETY STRATEGIES AND SYSTEMS TO IDENTIFY AND REMEDY RACIAL INEQUITIES IN POLICING PRACTICES
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PROMOTE THE CREATION OF CORESPONDER AND DIVERSION MODELS
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REINVIGORATE COMPREHENSIVE POLICE REFORM SUPPORTED BY THE COPS OFFICE
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PROMOTE ALTERNATIVETOARREST PROGRAMS
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ENCOURAGE THE DEMILITARIZATION OF THE POLICE BY ELIMINATING THE 1033 PROGRAM
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16Encourage Best Practices in Prosecution
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17Advance Sentencing Reform to Reduce the Federal Prison Population
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Support More Expansive Drug Law Reform .............................
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REPEAL MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES FOR DRUG OFFENSES
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