In search of true justice
I’ve seen firsthand the misguided practices of criminal prosecution in this county
Will the people of Allegheny County vote for change or the status quo when choosing our next district attorney?
My campaign is premised on a powerful theme that has been embraced across the country: We can reduce mass incarceration while improving public safety. The two are not mutually exclusive.
But this approach does require a different vision of justice, one that is rooted in the community and recognizes the humanity of all those who are impacted, whether as victims, witnesses, their families and even the accused.
I’ve had a front-row seat to our criminal justice system. I am a lifelong resident of Allegheny County. Prior to my legal career, I worked in social work in the field of mental health. As a new lawyer, I served as an assistant district attorney, advocating for victims and working closely with law enforcement. I have worked in private practice as a criminal defense attorney and in the public defender’s office. For 14 years, I have been acutely aware of the misguided philosophy and practices governing criminal prosecution in this county.
In 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the role of a prosecutor’s
office in a criminal case “is not that it shall win a case, but that justice shall be done.” As the number of people cycling in and out of jail and prison in our state has skyrocketed in recent decades, our district attorney’s office has pursued convictions while neglecting justice.
True justice means diverting from the courts low-level offenses that otherwise waste resources without improving public safety. True justice requires investigating claims of innocence to ensure those wrongfully convicted do not remain in prison one day longer. True justice requires a greater role for rehabilitation, recognizing that thousands who are prosecuted in this county need treatment for mental health problems and substance abuse.
The need for a new way of doing justice is apparent as we confront the opioid epidemic. In the midst of this public health crisis, some elected officials are calling for the failed policies of the past, such as mandatory minimum sentences, despite decades of evidence proving they do not reduce drug use or crime.
We must learn from the lessons of the crack-cocaine drug crisis. While the intent was to punish drug traffickers, harsh sentencing laws ended up trapping people suffering from addiction.
Aggressive prosecution of lowlevel drug crimes also has fueled the explosion of racially disparate incarceration rates. Today, Allegheny County has a higher black incarceration rate than the national average, and nearly 60% of those held in the Allegheny County Jail are black, despite blacks making up only 13% of the county’s population.
We cannot prosecute our way out of a public health crisis. There is no reason to think a failed “tough on crime” approach will work. We need innovative and cost-effective solutions that prioritize treatment and alternatives to incarceration. We need to create true diversionary programs and treatment courts to deal with the heavy influx of people experiencing mental health problems and drug addiction.
Until we truly address bail reform, racial disparities, mass incarceration and diversion for those in need of treatment, we will continue to lose focus on the true matter at hand: the prosecution and conviction of offenders who are violent and dangerous to our communities.
We have a lot of work ahead of us. This election is larger than any of the candidates. It’s not about me. It’s about us, and how we create a better future together. Please stand with me Tuesday. Vote for reform. Vote for justice.