Currently, prosecutors in both the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems have too much discretion in pressing charges, determining what sentences are sought, and negotiating plea deals. Trial by jury is a key tenant of the American criminal justice system, but heightened prosecutorial power significantly reduces the power and frequency of a trial by peers. Attempts at sentencing reform must address largely unchecked prosecutorial discretion.
“But Freeman’s critics say he hasn’t done enough to reduce overall incarceration levels. At a time when most states were reducing prison populations, the number of people that Hennepin County sent to prison was going up, from 1,509 prison admissions in 2012 to 1,664 in 2017. Nearly 70 percent of the people that Hennepin County prosecutors and judges sent to Minnesota prisons in 2017 were black.“
Twin Cities Daily Planet
October 16, 2018
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