Expectations of Justice

Because we believe that…

• No one deserves to be measured only by the worst thing she or he has ever done.
• Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and have his or her human rights preserved.
• Justice systems should be restorative rather than retributive.
• There is no way to create a perfectly safe world. Expecting that of our justice systems leads to policies that are counterproductive.
• Detention must be justified by a legitimate public safety concern.
• Those who are incarcerated should have all of the resources they need to turn their lives around.
•  No one should be incarcerated for his or her immigration status.
•  National and international human rights documents provide a sound basis for ensuring that justice systems meet these goals.
•  The politics of fear should not be allowed to influence sentencing practices or parole policies.
•  All efforts should be made to depoliticize justice system offices.
•  Drug use should be decriminalized and treated as a public health issue.
•  All juvenile cases should be handled in the juvenile system that is geared toward rehabilitation and education rather than incarceration.

We therefore believe that the following practices should define our justice systems with respect to…