Transforming Criminal Justice - by Jon B Gould & Pamela R Metzger

About the Book

"America's criminal justice system requires reform, but those efforts too often rest on anecdotes or assumptions. Drawing on the contributions of America's top justice researchers, this compendium provides an evidence-based blueprint to guide the movement toward criminal justice reform"--

Book Synopsis

An evidence-based roadmap for how the American criminal justice system can be reformed

This important volume brings together today's leading criminal justice scholars and practitioners to offer a roadmap for those who want to change the face of the American criminal justice system. This collection of essays addresses thirteen significant issues in justice reform, starting from a suspect's first interaction with the police and continuing to gun violence, prosecutorial innovation, sentencing reform, eliminating bail, recidivism and re-entry, collateral consequences of crime, and eliminating false convictions. A common theme emerges in this volume: the American criminal justice system is riddled with weaknesses that cause harm and require greater accountability. Each chapter is both educational and prescriptive, helping readers to understand the problems that plague the criminal justice system, how those problems can be addressed, and who should take responsibility for them.

Part scholarly research, part account of the justice system's workings and failings, and part agenda for action, Transforming Criminal Justice aims to educate and move readers to effect change.

Review Quotes

"Contributors to Gould and Metzger's volume present an evidence-based roadmap for how the American criminal justice system can be reformed."-- "Law and Social Inquiry"

"An impressive ensemble of scholars and practitioners with a wealth of knowledge on the workings--and failures--of the criminal justice system. Drawing upon empirical research, contributors provide evidence-based solutions to address criminal injustices in policing, courts, and corrections with special attention to issues of class, race, and gender. Transforming Criminal Justice is a must-read collection for policymakers, practitioners, academics, and laypeople interested in promoting accountability, harm reduction, and justice."-- "Maya Pagni Barak, co-author of Capital Defense: Inside the Lives of America's Death Penalty Lawyers"

"In today's fraught national discourse on the future of criminal justice reform, the ideas found in this ambitious and timely volume are particularly welcome. The book is chock-full of creative new approaches, from participatory defense as a movement-building strategy to temporary guaranteed income to support successful reentry. Other chapters promote structural changes in prosecutorial charging practices, sentencing policies, recidivism metrics, and sentinel event reviews. These ideas presented here are animated by a refreshing insistence on policies that reflect solid evidence, not political posturing. Taken together, they provide a platform for advocates committed to the hard work of unwinding our country's harmful and ineffective criminal justice apparatus."-- "Jeremy Travis, author of But They All Come Back: Facing the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry"

"This book does two things - both important - and it does them exceedingly well. First, in an era in which reform of the criminal legal system is a top priority for many, it provides a collection of essays across the entire system, from policing to incarceration and re-entry. Second, it does so from a deeply evidence-based perspective, so reform can be both effective and enduring. The editors are to be congratulated in assembling this impressive gathering of expertise, in a volume that many will find informative and engaging."-- "Barry Friedman, author of Unwarranted: Policing without Permission"

About the Author

Jon B. Gould (Editor)
Jon B. Gould is Dean of the School of Social Ecology and Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of four books, including The Innocence Commission: Preventing Wrongful Convictions and Restoring the Criminal Justice System and Capital Defense: Inside the Lives of America's Death Penalty Attorneys.

Pamela R. Metzger (Editor)
Pamela R. Metzger is Professor of Law and Director of the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center at Southern Methodist University.