Punitive Excess

The criminal justice system is marred by an overreliance on excessive punishment.

The criminal justice system’s past and present is intertwined with its use as a tool against people of color.

Much of the American legal system is based on a set of enduring myths about who are criminals and how they should be treated.

It’s up to society to say what is and isn’t a crime, and it varies more than one might think.

Unravelling decades of racially biased anti-drug policies is a monumental project.

U.S. sentencing practices seem especially extreme when compared with countries like Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Persistent and longstanding racism has fueled harsher treatment of young Black people in the justice system.

An incarcerated person writes about how dehumanizing language like “inmate” is destructive.

Decades of financial incentives by the federal government have encouraged states and cities to put more people behind bars for longer, with devastating results.

For many, harming the health of people in prison appears to have become part of their punishment. That needs to change.

For some people, punishment can continue years after the sentence ends, even decades.

Community supervision must be transformed in order to help people caught up in the justice system, not hurt them further.

America’s immigration rules are unduly harsh, leading to family separation and other needless suffering.

America has established a two-tiered system of justice: one for people with financial means and one for people without.

The American prison system seems designed to ensure that people return to incarceration instead of successfully reentering society.

A former assistant U.S. attorney explains how prosecutors’ decisions are fueling mass incarceration — and what can be done about it.

For poor, persecuted communities, helping them overcome legal challenges isn’t nearly enough.

A formerly incarcerated writer reflects on her time behind bars and the gender disparities in the criminal justice system.

Excessive punishment is the wrong response to rises in homicide rates.

Inflexible, harsh sentences exacerbate crime and racial disparities alike.

Preventive monitoring of conditions in American prisons can help shine a light on what needs to change.

Examples abound for successful alternative methods that can greatly improve the current criminal legal system.

Prisons in Northern Europe are actually supportive, and they see lower rates of violence and recidivism.

A personal story shows the full costs of an unfair system and demonstrates how it can be improved.

Reckoning with our overreliance on excessive punishment requires a commitment to truth-telling.