The fallout from recent police shootings has some  questioning the value of body cameras as a check on improper use of force.&nbsp;But the technology can&nbsp;only be as helpful as the policy governing its use.

Bonus: eroding faith in police body cameras

Civilian oversight of police began in the 60s, but it’s still unpopular with police themselves. Is independent civilian oversight necessary? What form of oversight works best? We talk about civilian oversight with an independent police auditor.

Civilian Oversight of Police: the Independent Auditor

Killings of unarmed black people by police have worsened historically troubled police-community relations. Until recently, little research existed that might help, but this has begun to change. Philip Atiba Goff explains how social psychology can change American policing. Find more at criminalinjusticepodcast.com.

#62: Social Psychology and the Police

Kelly from St Paul asks: if you dump toxic materials into a lake, knowing it will cause deaths, can you be charged with murder?

Ask Dave: Is It Murder?

Surveillance cameras are everywhere in American cities and towns. They’re touted as crime fighting tools, but do they really work? Are they worth the cost – in money, and in privacy? Dr. Nancy LaVigne, vice president for justice policy, of the non-partisan Urban Institute is the lead author of the largest  study of the effectiveness of surveillance cameras.

#90 Surveillance Cameras: Crime Fighting Machines?

To mark the 100th episode of Criminal Injustice, Dave goes back to where the show began -- Pittsburgh's NPR station, 90.5 WESA -- for a chat with Kevin Gavin, host of WESA's  The Confluence.

Bonus: Celebrating 100 Episodes on The Confluence

The American criminal justice system is all about finding the bad guys, convicting them, and penalizing them -- often by sending them to prison. But what does that do to help victims restore themselves? Can we imagine a system not of criminal justice, but restorative justice? Van Jones is a CNN contributor and host of  The Redemption Project.

#103 The Redemption Project

Mass incarceration remains the hallmark of the US justice system, as it has been for decades. In the last ten years, in some states, we see less jail in low-level cases and more electronic monitoring. But does this just trade one form of custody for another? Our guest, law professor Chaz Arnett, reveals the new world of e-carceration. He’s the author of  “Virtual Shackles: Electronic Surveillance and the Adultification of Juvenile Courts.”

#104 From Mass Incarceration, to E-carceration

In the last five years, we’ve seen case after case of police killing unarmed civilians – even people running away. Usually, officers do not face charges; when they do, juries often acquit them. Does the law governing police use of force favor police? Our guest, Professor Cynthia Lee, is one of the leading thinkers on use of force law, and she’ll discuss proposed changes.  Article: “Reforming the Law on Police Use of Deadly Force”&nbsp; Maryland HB 1121

#105 Redemption through Restorative Justice

San Quentin Prison in California has always had a reputation as one of the toughest, most violent prisons anywhere. But twelve years ago, the prison’s in-house newspaper, produced by inmates, began to change things. What can journalism do for incarcerated people, and for the prisons in which they serve their sentences? And what about the impact on people outside of prison? Our guest is , an award winning journalist, professor of journalism, and the author of      Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed:

#116 Prison Truth: The San Quentin News

The U.S. Supreme Court rules that jury decisions in state criminal cases must be unanimous, overturning a precedent that goes back to Jim Crow.&nbsp; Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed:

Bonus: No More Non-Unanimous Verdicts

Louisiana's public defender system is funded by fines from traffic violations. But with far fewer cars on the road due to COVID-19, an already badly underfunded system is at the breaking point. Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed:

Bonus: COVID-19 and Funding Public Defense

COVID-19 has exposed systemic injustice and institutional failures at every level of society, and nowhere more than in the criminal justice system. Incarcerated people are already being hit hard by the pandemic, but the situation is rapidly deteriorating -- and the effects will be felt beyond the walls of prisons and jails. Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed:

Bonus: Bad to Worse

Recommended reading on how COVID-19 is impacting incarcerated populations and what must be done to avoid catastrophe:  by Joseph Margulies in the Boston Review. Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed:

Read This: Let the People Go

The killing of an unarmed black man, Ahmaud Arbery, by two white men in Georgia went largely unnoticed until video of the February shooting went viral earlier this month. Now the father and son face murder charges -- but will Georgia's "Stand Your Ground" law block their conviction? Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed:

Bonus: The Murder of Ahmaud Arbery

Another horrific episode of police violence, captured on video in Minneapolis, graphically recalls the 2014 killing of Eric Garner by NYPD officers who were never criminally charged in his death. This time the officers may face charges, but prosecuting police is still notoriously difficult. Is there hope for justice?

Bonus: The Death of George Floyd

of an encounter in NYC's Central Park shows a white woman calling 911 to report another park user is threatening her life, apparently trying to provoke a violent police response against the "African American man" who had simply asked her to leash her dog. Reflexively fearing people of another race is racist -- but it's mostly a function of the garden-variety implicit bias that most of us harbor on some level, whether we're aware of it or not. Actively weaponizing that fear&nbsp; in others when you know it's baseless... that's taking it to another level. Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed:

Bonus: Dog Leash Lady Tries to Unleash Racist Violence

Derek Chauvin faces second- and third-degree murder and assault charges, and the three other Minneapolis police officers who watched him kill George Floyd are charged with aiding and abetting the crime. Why not first-degree? What do the charges mean? Dave breaks down the prosecution's reasoning.&nbsp; Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed:

Bonus: Minneapolis Officers Charged

Minneapolis takes a bold step, announcing it will dismantle the police department that sparked protests nationwide with the murder of George Floyd -- and just like that, "defund the police" graduates from activist rallying cry to viable policy option. For all the handwringing over what the phrase "really means," it's really not complicated: people want their city governments to take resources away from lavishly-funded and unaccountable law enforcement agencies, and devote them instead to emergency responders, social services, schools, and civil institutions that advance public safety rather than wage war on their own citizens. Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed:

Bonus: Defund the Police

On June 10, Dave gave an hour-long presentation on law and racial justice for the  at the University of Pittsburgh. We invite you to check out the video on YouTube:    Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed:

Bonus: #CRSPCast Live

David A. Harris is a distinguished faculty scholar and professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, teaching courses in criminal law and criminal procedure. He is widely considered the leading national authority on police behavior and racial profiling in the United States. 
He has written and commented on a range of national security issues, including the police-involved deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice. A former public defender in the Washington, D.C., area, Harris possesses more than 30 years of experience in the legal profession.

Criminal (In)justice

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks