A TARGETED APPROACH TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

Abstract

This Article will inform the reader about the unique challenges of American criminal justice reform. It will consider why, by some measures, the American system has higher, and perhaps insurmountable, obstacles to reform that other nations lack. It will also consider what actions have been taken to tackle this complex issue, and the results of such efforts. Finally, it will identify the low hanging fruit - the most obvious flaws in our system that need to be addressed if there is to be any hope of permanently improving our justice system and its outcomes. Be forewarned; some of this fruit is difficult, if not impossible, to pick, and targeting some may be unpopular. Nonetheless, the time has come for us as a society to stop walking on eggshells and consider actual solutions. These solutions include a unique approach that targets a root cause of criminal behavior.