Nikki Addimando, testifying to the abuse she faced at the hands of her partner while on trial for his murder. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States, which equates to more than 10 million people per year. Women who are incarcerated are particular prone to fall victim to this statistic. In 2007, a survey of the New York Department of Corrections showed that two-thirds of women incarcerated for killing someone c

Parole in the United States is an enormous network of nearly 4.5 million people. The definition is a conditional release of prisoners. The federal system was done away within the early nineties for granting Parole. Some states have done away with parole boards all together in favor of determinate sentencing. The parole board evaluates whether prisoners are ready to be released. The decision by the committees on whether to release prisoners is an area that should be looked at

In 2018, New York became the first state to create a statewide commission, called the Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct, to address prosecutorial misconduct. The commission’s main goal is to fight malicious prosecution and wrongful convictions. While many members of the public are pleased with the new legislation, prosecutors plan to bring lawsuits. The commission would have a wide depth of power, with the authority to sanction prosecutors and remove them from office if the

Earlier this year, Miami-Dade Public Defender Carlos Martinez and State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle urged Florida lawmakers to financially aid public defenders and prosecutors, alleging that the pay has “reached a crisis level.” The pay public defenders and prosecutors receive insufficient to cover the high costs of living. As a result, the offices that employ them are grappling with high turnover rates. The turnover signifies that public defenders and prosecutors are

Mentally ill offenders possess a unique set of circumstances and needs. However, all too often, the cycle through the criminal justice system without appropriate care to address their mental health. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, individuals with mental health needs make up a large proportion of the United States correctional population. An estimated 56 percent of state prisoners, 45 percent of federal prisoners, and 64 percent of jail inmates have a mental he

In last month’s midterm elections, Florida voters restored the voting rights of nearly 1.5 million of the state’s citizens. Specifically, the amendment gives all former felons, except convicted murders and sex offenders, the right to vote once they complete the entirety of their sentence. The Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative (Amendment 4) was led on the premise of forgiveness, headed by former felons. Desmond Meade, one of the leaders of the initiative and Pres

Substance use disorder is a public health crisis, with 1.5 times more individuals suffering from addiction than all those suffering from cancer combined. Further, among those in prison, 46% of all violent and non-violent crimes committed, are drug-related. The larger problem arises when these two statistics intersect. What results is a large percentage of individuals being funneled through the criminal justice system who on the one hand, we want to treat, but on the other, co

The State of New Jersey has become a leader in criminal justice reform, from Drug Court to Pre-Trial Intervention. One of the many recent and controversial changes New Jersey has made is with Bail Reform. New Jersey’s Bail System is moving away from a monetary system, towards a risk-based system that is more objective and fairer to defendants. While other places such as Washington, D.C. and the federal government have reformed bail, and while others have unsuccessfully tried,