HumaneJustice.org

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America's criminal justice system, a national disgrace with irregularities and inequities that cut against the notion that we are a society founded on fundamental fairness. Prisons with massive overcrowding, wasting billions of dollars and diminishing millions of lives
-- Senator Jim Webb, in his proposed 2009 Criminal Justice Commission Act

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HUMANE JUSTICE

Target Action Plan TAP30 and TAP29 are the two humane criminal justice TAPs. TAP30 should be read first. All humane justice TAPs are in Paragraph 45.6 through 45.12 of Action Plan - AP45 Outline of Plans for the Public and Private Sectors to Rapidly Implement the UN Sustainable Development Goal Target Action Plans (TAPs)

Excerpts From and References for Target Action Plan-TAP29

TAP29 Humane Criminal Justice
• Have experts examine everyone incarcerated in all federal, state, county and city prisons and jails
• Provide each of the incarcerated individual rehabilitation plans which include amount of restitution to be paid to their victim(s), fines, civil forfeitures, and/or community service
• Release those who can safely be released
• Provide others jobs at living wages in co-ops and keep them under supervision and/or committed until they can safely be released

29 Humane Criminal Justice

29.1 Introduction

29.1.1 We need everyone possible to stay healthy, not be in jail or prison and work at living wages on ending wars, global warming, poverty, hunger, etc.

29.1.2 This is the second of two target action plans to reform criminal justice. It focuses on perpetrators already in prison or jail. The first plan is about ongoing prosecution and future crimes and investigations TAP 30 and should be read first,

29.1.3 The outstanding new report Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2019 pieces together the United States fragmented American criminal justice system which holds almost 2.3 million people in 1,719 state prisons, 109 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,163 local jails, and 80 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, immigration detention facilities, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. territories. This report provides a detailed look at where and why people are locked up in the U.S., and focuses attention on the real drivers of mass incarceration.

29.1.4 This plan and these humane restorative justice principles and practices do not excuse crimes, nor do they permit the release of someone who is a threat to society or themselves.

29.1.5 The primary, purposes of criminal justice are to protect the public from perpetrators of crimes, to rehabilitate perpetrators, have perpetrators be apologetic and contrite and make amends to and appropriately compensate and pay restitutions to their victims

29.1.6 The best way to get them to do this is not by punishment, confrontations, public embarrassments or threats, none of which work. Perpetrators must receive the appropriate mental health care and be led to understand the damages, suffering and misery that their injustices have caused and are causing and to encourage them to decide that they want to be productive, cooperative members of society.

29.1.7 This Plan to humanely reform criminal justice in federal, state, county and city jails and prisons proposes to:

29.1.7.1 End all punishment, solitary confinement, police and prison violence, the death penalty, solitary confinement, bail bond, etc.

29.1.7.2 Have experts decide and release those who can safely be released.

29.1.7.3 Until they can safely be released, keep others under appropriate supervision and busy with individual rehabilitation - treatment plans in rehabilitation - treatment centers and half-way houses with worker co-ops, close to families and friends. Use timely restorative justice and reconciliation and encourage perpetrators to provide restitution and/or compensation for their victims and society.

29.1.8 Our current justice has very lenient, almost non-existent criminal justice for the wealthy and senior public and private sector officials who violate the law and harsh criminal justice for the people who cannot afford expensive attorneys. Whether or not individuals go to prison usually depends upon whether or not he or she can afford an expensive attorney who knows the judge.

29.1.9 Numerous official reports, books and articles describe the horrors, wastefulness and illegality of U.S. wars, assassinations, drone attacks, torture and abuse of detainees, spying and massive financial crimes.

29.1.10 Yet, after untold years of these illegalities and despite hundreds of thousands of petitions, phone calls, emails demonstrations and “occupations of offices,” not one high-ranking official that authorized and planned these illegal acts has been indicted and not one survivor of U.S. torture has succeeded in holding these officials accountable in a U.S. court for torture.

29.1.11 Numerous studies, books and articles describe the deplorable conditions in our prisons and criminal justice system, including the Criminal Justice Commission Act, which Senator Jim Webb introduced in March 2009 and reintroduced in 2010 and 2011, Yet, despite numerous petitions, phone calls and demonstrations very little has been done and Senator Webb’s proposed legislation for a Criminal Justice Commission was blocked by 43 Senators threatening to filibuster against it and voting against cloture

29.1.12 The following Table of Contents outlines the major elements of this plan. Each item in the plan can be accessed by clicking on the page number for that item.

Table of Contents

29.4.1 Screen detainees, incarcerated, civilly committed and those detained while awaiting trial and release those who can safely be released so that they can work, support their families and compensate and pay restitution to their victims. Keep those remaining that are threats to society "under appropriate supervision, treat them with sympathy and understanding" initiate individual rehabilitation and reentry plans for each of them and provide them jobs in co-ops at living wages so they can support their families and compensate and pay restitution to their victims.

29.4.2 Make comprehensive and timely preparations for the reentry into society of those released and each of those remaining incarcerated including employment opportunities at living wages, health care, affordable shelter, counseling, a network of supporters, etc.

29.4.3 Ensure Rights of Victims, the Accused, Defendants and Incarcerated and Civilly Committed Are Strictly Protected.

29.4.4 Treat the Accused, Defendants, Incarcerated and Civilly Committed Humanely.

29.4.5 Ensure Just Investigations and Adjudication

29.4.7 Provide opportunities for the accused, defendants, incarcerated and civilly committed to apologize, pay appropriate restitution and reconcile with their victims

29.4.8 Phase out all privately owned and ultimately all prisons