Photo of Sharone Mitchell, Jr. speaking on the panel.
Mitchell: Staffing is a key issue for case processing. Cook Co. Pub. Defs. were lucky not to have the staff attrition crisis that other PDOs have had recently. Doorbell cameras & body-worn cameras have exploded time to review discovery. Staff training in mental health is also a factor. #RethinkJails
Photo of the panel
The panel for the closing plenary features perspectives on case processing from Judge Toria Finch (Harris Co. TX), Mary Moriarty (County Atty, Hennepin Co. MN), Sharone Mitchell (Chief Public Defender of Cook Co. IL), and Ashley Wojslawowicz (Charleston Co. SC). #RethinkJails
Photo of the session
Photo of the session
Photo of a projected slide at the session with final remarks from the speaker
The final plenary session of the day, "Efficiency, Equity, and Due Process: Rethinking Case Processing," looks at trends in case filings, dispositions, and time to disposition. #RethinkJails
Photo of Renee Danser speaking on the panel
Judge Timothy Kuhlman (Lucas County, OH) and Renee Danser (Access 2 Justice Lab) discuss implementation of a diversion program aimed at reducing racial and ethnic disparities, along with a randomized controlled trial study of that program. #RethinkJails
Photo of a projected slide reading: "CONTEXT MATTERS: What contexts matter in exploring the most effective strategies to reduce jail population?"
Brian Lovins (JSP) discusses the importance of context in strategy implementation. e.g., pretrial strategies in Harris Co. (TX) worked differently after the O'Donnell decision on early access to counsel; pretrial risk assessments don't change outcomes if not integrated effectively. #RethinkJails
*alongside
Photo of Diana Spahia speaking on the panel with a projected slide behind her displaying a bar graph titled "SJC Coty and County ADP Reductions" with data from Philadelphia, Lucas County, East Baton Rouge Parish, Allegheny County, Multnomah County, and New Orleans Parish
Photo of a projected slide with a table titled "Strategies Implemented"
Diana Spahia (@cunyislg.bsky.social) reviews data from the SJC Practice Inventory, 337 jail reduction strategies implemented in 26 SJC sites nationwide. The most successful sites in reducing jail population addressed mental/behavioral health alongsidr probation or case processing. #RethinkJails
Photo of the panel
For the first round of breakouts, I'm in "Jail Reduction in Practice: Conditions and Context Critical to Strategy Success" with panelists from Bennett Midland, @cunyislg.bsky.social, Justice System Partners, Lucas County (OH), and the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law. #RethinkJails
Photo of Everrette Penn speaking on the panel.
Everette Penn (Prairie View A&M) decries the trend of criminal legal systems getting input from impacted individuals but not involving them in policy decisionmaking.
He encourages systems to consider HBCUs as research partners, as they are more affected than others by these policies. #RethinkJails
Photo of a projected slide with session title "Beyond Reform: Shaping the Next Era of Criminal Justice Practice and Research" and panelists: Jocelyn Fontaine, Black and Brown Collective (Facilitator); Nancy Rodriguez, University of Texas; Nancy LaVigne, Rutgers University; Everett Penn, Prairie View University; Virginia Ryan, New Orleans Parish; Nicole Barton, Harris County
Photo of the panel at the conference
Our next plenary session, "Beyond Reform: Shaping the Next Era of Criminal Justice Practice and Research," features a panel of researchers and practitioners from SJC sites discussing how to continue and expand the progress of the past decade. #RethinkJails
Photo of a projected slide with a bar and line graph titled "After 20+ years of steady increase, a 24% decline in jail population rates since 2007."
Photo of a projected slide weigh a bar chart titled "After 40 years of growth, a 24% decline in prison populations since 2010."
Photo of a projected slide of a line chart titled "After 20 years of growth, a 73% decline in youth prison population since 2000."
Photo of a projected slide with a line chart titled "A 72% increase in immigration detention since January 2025."
Jeremy Travis (@cunyislg.bsky.social) reviews jail reform from 1961 to the present. He highlights how "tough-on-crime" policy changes in the '70s and '80s ballooned jail and prison populations, and how ICE incarceration factors in. We need more impacted voices in policy decisionmaking. #RethinkJails
Photo of Reagan Daly speaking at the conference
Reagan Daly (@cunyislg.bsky.social) notes that ISLG is working with @macfound.org to create an online archive of SJC data, research, and policy products in a way that will be more easily accessible to the general public, not just SJC sites and partners. #RethinkJails
Photo of a projected slide at the conference with a line graph titled "The population of women in jail is increasing faster than men since the pandemic"
Another takeaway: there is still more work to be done. In addition to continuing racial and ethnic disparities in jail populations, gender disparities have sharpened since the pandemic, with women's jail populations growing faster than men's. #RethinkJails
Photo of a projected slide with a line graph titled "Declines in White Incarceration Rate Outpace Declines in Black Incarceration Rate"
Among notable takeaways from SJC data is that general decarceration strategies will not achieve racial equity without specific effort to address racial and ethnic disparities in jail populations. #RethinkJails
Photo of a projected slide at the conference reading "SJC Research Consortium"
Photo of the opening general session at the conference
Photo of Jenn Ferone speaking at the conference
Photo of Stephanie Platz speaking at the conference
Our opening plenary session reflects on the SJC Network's accomplishments in its decade of work and looks ahead to how data and progress from SJC sites will be carried forward in the years to come. #RethinkJails
Photo of Broadway in Nashville at night with honky tonk neon lights on either side of the road.
Photo of some guy with a sculpture on Music Row
Photo of Union Station Hotel in Nashville at night
I'm at the final convening of the @macfound.org Safety & Justice Challenge, the SJC Research Symposium in Nashville. Looking forward to discussing the role of public defenders in criminal legal system research on the "Defense: Constraints, Caseloads, and Change" panel tomorrow morning! #RethinkJails
Hoping that the people of Iran have a brighter future ahead. Rotten process yields rotten results, though. Trump will certainly cause more pain and death through yet another illegal war aimed more at improving poll numbers and stealing resources than nurturing democracy and long-term security.
Good riddance to Khamenei. People shouldn't be ruled by dictators, by totalitarianism, or by religion. Our current government would do well to keep that in mind.
Trump interrputed diplomatic negotiations by starting a war that will kill untold hundreds to thousands of people in Iran, Israel, and across the Middle East. As with his use of the military in the U.S., cruelty will be a feature, not a bug. Our war-mongering president needs to stop. #NoWarWithIran
OCASIO-CORTEZ STATEMENT ON TRUMP'S COMBAT OPERATIONS IN IRAN "The American people are once again dragged into a war they did not want by a president who does not care about the long-term consequences of his actions. This war is unlawful. It is unnecessary. And it will be catastrophic. "Just this week, Iran and the United States were negotiating key measures that could have staved off war. The President walked away from these discussions and chose war instead.President Trump flippantly acknowledged the possibility of American casualties, stating "that often happens in war.' "Mr. President: this was not an inevitability. This is a deliberate choice of aggression when diplomacy and security were within reach. Stop lying to the American people. "Violence begets violence. We learned this lesson in Iraq. We learned this lesson in Afghanistan. And we are about to learn it again in Iran. Bombs have yet to create enduring democracies in the region and this will be no different. "In moments of war, our Constitution is unambiguous: Congress authorizes war. The President does not. I will do my part to uphold our Constitution by voting YES on Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie's War Powers Resolution. Every member of Congress must join us in rejecting this aimless war.
My statement on President Trump’s combat operations in Iran⬇️
So far in Minnesota
They Shot a 37-year-old mother Renee Good four times, killing her, right after she dropped off her son at school.
Then Ice kidnapped a five year old.
Then ice kidnapped a two year old
Then border patrol murdered Va nurse.
Then Sec Noam went on tv and lied about it
‘We need gun rights and small government to protect ourselves from tyranny,’ Republicans said - before citing gun possession and fear of tyrannical government to justify murdering fellow Americans.
I actually think abolishing ICE *is* worth shutting down the government over.
Grind all business to a halt in Congress. Nothing should get done so long as ICE is part of any funding bill.
THAT'S what you can do now, @democrats.org.
I'm so proud of the work that NLADA does every day to support public defenders, legal aid, and community advocates in fulfilling the promise of Equal Justice Under Law, particularly as the communities we serve face new and growing threats. Please consider donating to NLADA this #GivingTuesday:
It's hard to believe I've been at @nlada.bsky.social for eight years and counting! I'm proud of the work that we do to support legal aid and public defense across the country, and I hope you'll join our efforts by donating to NLADA this #GivingTuesday.
"things happen"; sometimes people are just randomly dismembered with bone saws. especially journalists who ask me mean questions.
President Trump does not have the authority to sidestep Congress in order to silence local governments and non-profit orgs that do work he doesn’t like.
Public servants serve the people, not politics. We're in court to protect the bipartisan promise of public service loan forgiveness.
Mamdani: "Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up."
just want to remind everyone again that zohran is the one cis candidate i am aware of that had his platform on trans rights written by trans people. i think that matters
WOW. 81% of women 18-29 voted for Mamdani, 80% for Sherril, and 78% for Spanberger.
Gen Z women aren't playing around.
