Notable new bipartisan statement of criminal justice reform principles

As detailed in this press release from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, “national organizations from across the political spectrum have released a set of principles aimed at guiding policymakers in reforming the U.S. criminal justice system to be fairer and more effective.”  Here is more:

Following discussions facilitated by the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the Council on Criminal Justice and sponsored by The Just Trust, 14 organizations ranging from the Conservative Political Action Conference to the American Civil Liberties Union pledged their support of four principles “meant to show the American public and policymakers that there is agreement on the left and right that the criminal justice system needs to be improved.” The principles were announced today during a virtual event attended by more than 550 people.

The signatories to the principles, representing seven leading advocacy organizations on the left and seven on the right, note that while they oppose each other on numerous issues of policy, “we agree that the criminal justice system is too big, costs too much, and fails to deliver the safety and justice Americans deserve. We share a commitment to a safer and more just nation and agree on the following four principles for criminal justice policy.”

The principles are safety, fairness, dignity, and accountability….

While the initiative hopes the principles will prompt advocates, media outlets, and others “to ask whether proposed reforms or current policies and practices align with them,” it targets policymakers in particular.

“We urge policymakers to integrate the perspectives of victims and survivors of crime, people who work in the justice system, and people who have criminal records or have been impacted by the system,” the signatories write, “as they work to advance these principles across all parts of the system, including in their application to law enforcement and corrections officers, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and others.”

The Council on Criminal Justice, which played a major role in this effort, hosted a webinar today discussing the principles.  A recording of the event is available here.