This week, we’re looking at some half-measures in social justice reforms. Sometimes, good isn’t good enough.
Colorado
- Recidivism Reduction Fund
- Why we’re watching: This week, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced a new program encouraging businesses to hire formerly incarcerated workers in a bid to reduce the state’s recidivism, which nears 50% over three years. The new initiative is a good step in the right direction, but ignores the systemic issues that create recidivism, like prioritizing punishment rather than rehabilitation during imprisonment.
Connecticut
- Ned Lamont Executive Order
- Why we’re watching: Gov. Lamont issued an executive order for Connecticut’s corrections facilities to reform prisoner behavior protocols, but only after he vetoed the PROTECT Act, which would’ve statutorily limited solitary confinement. Prisons have now revised in-cell shackling rules and increased the frequency of mental health evaluations.
Minnesota
- Use-of-Force Data
- Why we’re watching: In the wake of George Floyd’s murder last year, Minneapolis enacted a set of reforms that included raising the threshold for officers’ use of force. The success of these reforms is unclear after all this time, because the publicly reported data is incomplete. What use is police reform if the public cannot understand its impacts?
New York
- Statewide Prison Closures
- Why we’re watching: Following the footsteps of her predecessor, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the closure of six state prisons early next year, aiming to transform some of those facilities into substance abuse centers. Despite this positive step forward, Rikers Island is still open, an affront to the entire criminal justice movement and those still held captive there.
Pennsylvania
- Mental Health Crisis Response
- Why we’re watching: After murdering Walter Wallace Jr., Philadelphia has settled a wrongful death lawsuit and announced police mental health issue reforms, including providing more nonlethal weapons to officers. The question remains: Why didn’t officers have access to such tools earlier? As police arsenals across the country grow, it’s unthinkable that police only possessed lethal weapons at any point in the line of duty.
What do you think of the news in this week’s legislative roundup? Did we miss anything? Drop us a line on any of our social channels or hit us up through our contact us form. Let us know what’s happening in YOUR neighborhood!
