Positions on Justice

Expectations of Justice
Because we believe that…

  • No one deserves to be measured only by the worst thing she or he has ever done.

  • Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and have his or her human rights preserved.

  • Justice systems should be restorative rather than retributive.

  • There is no way to create a perfectly safe world. Expecting that of our justice systems leads to policies that are counterproductive.

  • Detention must be justified by a legitimate public safety concern.

  • Those who are incarcerated should have all of the resources they need to turn their lives around.

  • No one should be incarcerated for his or her immigration status.

  • National and international human rights documents provide a sound basis for ensuring that justice systems meet these goals.

  • The politics of fear should not be allowed to influence sentencing practices or parole policies.

  • All efforts should be made to depoliticize justice system offices.

  • Drug use should be decriminalized and treated as a public health issue.

  • All juvenile cases should be handled in the juvenile system that is geared toward rehabilitation and education rather than incarceration.

  • We therefore believe that the following practices should define our justice systems with respect to…