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International Journal of Law And Criminology

Peer Reviewed | Open Access | E-ISSN: 2771-2214
Published Article

EXPANDING THE REACH OF PROGRESSIVE PROSECUTION

EXPANDING THE REACH OF PROGRESSIVE PROSECUTION

  • Jeffrey Bellin
    Professor, William & Mary Law School, South Africa
Progressive prosecution criminal justice reform equity

Progressive prosecution is a model of prosecution that prioritizes public safety while also promoting equity, fairness, and justice. This article explores the history and development of progressive prosecution and discusses the challenges and opportunities for expanding its reach. The article also highlights successful examples of progressive prosecution in action and offers recommendations for how progressive prosecutors can work to address systemic issues in the criminal justice system.

https://serialpodcast.org/season-one [https://perma.cc/W5GC-38BJ], (suggesting

that Adnan Syed was wrongfully convicted); Serial, NPR, Season 3, https://serialpodcast.org/

[https://perma.cc/676U-XJ2L]; (reporting on chaotic criminal courts in Cleveland).

https://www.netflix.com/title/80000770 [https://perma.cc/V5G4-5GRP].

2 Arthur Rizer& Lars Trautman, The Conservative Case for Criminal Justice Reform,

GUARDIAN (Aug. 5, 2018), https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/05/the-conser

vative-case-for-criminal-justice-reform [https://perma.cc/J2VG-EGU5].

3 BidishSarma, Using Deterrence Theory to Promote Prosecutorial Accountability,

21 LEWIS & CLARK L. REV . 573, 592 (2017) (“Prosecutorial elections are historically low-

information, low-turnout affairs.”).

4 See Ronald F. Wright, How Prosecutor Elections Fail Us, 6 OHIO ST . J. CRIM . L. 581,

591 (2009).

5 See Carissa Byrne Hessick& Michael Morse, Picking Prosecutors, 105 IOWA L. REV .

1537, 1544–46 (2020).