The expected prosecutions as a result of the Dobbs decision are bearing down on a system already overwhelmed post-COVID. Because of the promise of arrests for those traveling interstate seeking services, defense attorneys may feel an impact even if they do not practice in an abortion-restrictive jurisdiction.

NACDL is a leader in the movement to end America’s unjust, discriminatory, and ineffective policy of mass incarceration – a policy which in 2023 commemorates 50 years of failure. This page presents information to shed light on how mass incarceration makes communities less stable and safe, along with some examples of how NACDL, with your support, pushes back against half a century of this misguided policy failure.

On the 50 Year Anniversary of the Mass Incarceration Era, NACDL calls for Reflection and Reform – Washington, DC (Feb. 8, 2023) – In 2023, NACDL and advocates across the country are commemorating 50 years of America’s unjust, discriminatory, and ineffective policy of mass incarceration. Over five million people are under supervision by the criminal legal system. Nearly two million people, disproportionately Black, are living in jails and prisons  instead of their communities, a 500% increase since 1973.

Virtual Launch Event: 50 Years and a Wakeup: Ending the Mass Incarceration Crisis In America

Progressive prosecutors want to reduce the jail and prison population, eliminate disparities, and make the system fairer. Angela J. Davis points to a clear benefit of the movement: Progressive prosecutors do much less harm than traditional law and order prosecutors. What does less harm mean? Shorter prison sentences and fewer people with convictions. 

Progressive prosecutors want to reduce the jail and prison population, eliminate disparities, and make the system fairer. Jonathan Rapping says there is a lack of discussion regarding the damage the progressive prosecutor movement causes. He adds that the movement ignores the role of defense counsel in achieving justice. Is the progressive prosecutor movement here to stay, and is that a good thing? 

We tell ourselves that we are protected from government abuse by a system of jury trials in which jurors decide guilt or innocence and judges determine sentences. What is the reality? We have abandoned the system of public jury trials established in the Constitution and Bill of Rights in favor of a shadow system of guilty pleas driven by the logic of prosecutorial power.

This month Susan Elizabeth Reese reviews American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey Into the Business of Punishment by Shane Bauer.

Although women are comprising an ever-larger part of the prison population, they are being housed in a correctional system that was primarily designed for men.

This month Cara Wieneke reviews The Meaning of Life: The Case for Abolishing Life Sentences by Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis.

This month Robert M. Sanger reviews The War on Kids by Cara Drinan.