Positions on Justice
Expectations of Justice
Because we believe that…
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No one deserves to be measured only by the worst thing she or he has ever done.
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Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and have his or her human rights preserved.
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Justice systems should be restorative rather than retributive.
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There is no way to create a perfectly safe world. Expecting that of our justice systems leads to policies that are counterproductive.
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Detention must be justified by a legitimate public safety concern.
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Those who are incarcerated should have all of the resources they need to turn their lives around.
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No one should be incarcerated for his or her immigration status.
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National and international human rights documents provide a sound basis for ensuring that justice systems meet these goals.
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The politics of fear should not be allowed to influence sentencing practices or parole policies.
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All efforts should be made to depoliticize justice system offices.
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Drug use should be decriminalized and treated as a public health issue.
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All juvenile cases should be handled in the juvenile system that is geared toward rehabilitation and education rather than incarceration.
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We therefore believe that the following practices should define our justice systems with respect to…