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Stretched Thin: Parents Lacking Resources Who Are Accused of Negligent Child Abuse Need Solutions, Not Prisons
January 21, 2020
The purpose of punishment is not served when the criminal justice system prosecutes poor, and often undereducated, parents for the unintended deaths of their children. Punishment as retribution is excessive for an already grieving parent, and an act cannot be deterred, either specifically to the offender or generally to society, if it was unintended in the first place. Finally, incapacitating parents by way of imprisonment does not ultimately serve the social good because their imprisonment sets up their surviving children for increased risk factors. Punishing a parent who has already received the worst punishment of all—loss of a child—cannot be justified.
Continue ReadingThe Privileged Working Conditions of Public Employees Sanctioned by Public Law: Adding One Dimension to Inequality
This Paper joins the debate about inequality and public management reform. Authors have been thinking about equality—and inequality—mostly in terms of income and wealth and less in terms of living and working conditions, e.g. the digital divide. Adding to the literature about inequality in working conditions, this Paper shows that a significant amount of value, or ‘shadow’ income, can be perceived from a person’s working conditions, and this is the case of public employees globally.
Continue ReadingOpportunity Zones: Gambling with Our General Welfare
January 5, 2021
Economic inequality is at a breaking point. “Opportunity Zones” operate currently to expand specific welfare rather than general welfare. Reforms may be imminent, but OZs reveal how private-public partnerships often prioritize the interests of only a few.
Continue ReadingThe $2 Billion-Plus Price of Injustice: A Methodological Map for Police Reform in the George Floyd Era
March 22, 2021
View/Download PDF Version David Schultz† Introduction The death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer forced America again to confront the connection between racism and law enforcement. It also compelled the City of Minneapolis to act. Merely a few days later on June 7, 2020 a majority…
Continue ReadingNo Humans Involved: The Dehumanization of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
November 29, 2021
by Alida Weidensee* No Humans Involved. This was the unofficial term used by members of the Los Angeles Police Department and other public officials to describe the murders of people of color and those in other communities deemed nonhuman.[1] The use of this term came to light in 1992, following the acquittal of LAPD officers…
Continue ReadingLaufer Gives ADA Testers a Second Green Light
January 11, 2023
By Matthew Schmitz ***Disability communities differ on whether they prefer person-first (“person with a disability”) or identity-first (“disabled person”) language.[1] Here, I have opted for identity-first language but want to acknowledge that each member of the disability community may have a different preference. The First Circuit bucked the trend of its sister circuits on a…
Continue ReadingExpungement of Marijuana Convictions: Lessons Learned from Minnesota Prohibition
February 7, 2023
Articles Editor Cedar Weyker looks back on Prohibition-era Minnesota to determine the best path forward for expungement as states across the country legalize marijuana.
Continue ReadingFace It: Police Can’t Be Trusted with Facial Recognition Technology
March 7, 2023
As facial recognition technology becomes more common, governments must confront the more sinister aspects of this new field, including privacy concerns, threats to free speech, and government surveillance. This piece by JLI Online Editor Joseph Scanlon breaks down the issues with police’s use of facial recognition technology.
Continue ReadingCrypto and the Climate Crisis
March 8, 2023
Cryptocurrency mining has done more than shake up financial industries – it has had an enormous impact on climate change as well. In this blog, JLI Note & Comment Editor Mallory Harrington breaks down how cryptocurrencies impact the environment and potential solutions to these problems.
Continue ReadingFormulating a Fix: Past, Present, and Future State and Federal Efforts to Rectify the Abuses of Form Contracts
June 13, 2020
by Chad K. Hermes† View/Download PDF Version Table of Contents Part I: The Standard Form Contract Part II: Legislative Action to Limit Oppressive Terms in Form Contracts A. Federal Action to Limit Oppressive Terms B. State Action to Limit Oppressive Terms Part III: Further Efforts Legislatures Should Make to Limit Oppressive Terms A. Principles-Based Enforcement…
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