The future of prosecution should be guided by evidence, not assumptions. The Penn Prosecution Lab embeds researchers within prosecutors' offices to study what works, helping improve fairness & effectiveness through data-driven decision making. Learn more: www.law.upenn.edu/institutes/q...

Prosecution Lab

The Penn Prosecution Lab is a multidisciplinary research center advancing evidence-based prosecution and criminal justice policy.

law.upenn.edu

ICYMI: FJP filed an amicus brief urging the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to fully examine new evidence of innocence in Rodney Reed's case and permit critical DNA testing. Every credible innocence claim deserves meaningful review. fairandjustprosecution.org/press-releas...

FJP Urges Texas Court to Review New Evidence of Innocence in Rodney Reed Death Penalty Case - Fair and Just Prosecution

Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP), the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), and 29 current and former prosecutors and law enforcement officials filed an amicus brief urging the Texas Court of Crim...

fairandjustprosecution.org

1/ FJP, alongside LEAP and 29 current and former prosecutors and law enforcement officials, filed an amicus brief urging the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to fully examine substantial new evidence pointing to Rodney Reed's innocence and allow long-denied DNA testing.

No one should face a harsher sentence simply for exercising their constitutional right to trial. Read why FJP supports the Right to Trial Act and what it would mean for fairness in sentencing: fairandjustprosecution.org/2026/07/why-...

Why FJP Supports the Right to Trial Act (2026) - Fair and Just Prosecution

Why FJP Supports the Right to Trial Act (2026) FJP Analysis The Right to Trial Act (2026) would help protect one of the Constitution’s most fundamental guarantees: the right to trial by jury. The bill...

fairandjustprosecution.org

Crime trends are moving in the right direction. A new Council on Criminal Justice report finds homicides fell 18% across 30 cities in early 2026, putting the nation on track for what could be its lowest homicide rate in more than a century.

Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Mid-Year 2026 Update - Council on Criminal Justice

Examining changes in 13 offenses across a sample of 36 large U.S. cities, CCJ's mid-year analysis shows crime has continued to fall in the first half of 2026, with homicide likely dropping to another ...

counciloncj.org

No one should face a harsher sentence simply for requiring the government to prove its case. The Right to Trial Act would strengthen constitutional protections, promote fair sentencing, and reinforce public confidence in the justice system. Read more: fairandjustprosecution.org/2026/07/why-...

Why FJP Supports the Right to Trial Act (2026) - Fair and Just Prosecution

Why FJP Supports the Right to Trial Act (2026) FJP Analysis The Right to Trial Act (2026) would help protect one of the Constitution’s most fundamental guarantees: the right to trial by jury. The bill...

fairandjustprosecution.org

NEW: Updated report by @sentencingproject.bsky.social and @fjporg.bsky.social "The Sentencing Project and Fair and Just Prosecution recommend that all U.S. jurisdictions repeal felony murder statutes."

Felony Murder: An On-Ramp for Extreme Sentencing – The Sentencing Project

Felony murder laws compel harsh decades-long–or life–sentences even when the person charged did not directly cause or intend loss of life.

sentencingproject.org

1/ Commonwealth's Attorney Dehghani-Tafti appeared for a closed-door congressional deposition after being subpoenaed over a charging decision. Moments like this test whether prosecutors can exercise independent judgment based on the facts and the law. www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

House committee questions Va. prosecutor in closed-door deposition

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti (D), the top prosecutor in Arlington County, is the latest Northern Virginia official to be pressed by members of the House Judiciary Committee.

washingtonpost.com

Felony murder laws have become a major driver of extreme sentencing, mass incarceration, and racial disparities, often imposing life sentences on people who neither intended nor directly caused a death.

1/ A major victory for the First Amendment. The Eleventh Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction blocking Florida's Stop W.O.K.E. Act from restricting speech in public university classrooms. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/u...

Part of Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE’ Law Ruled Illegal by Appeals Court

The law limits teaching on race, gender and other topics. Part of the law related to colleges was struck down. It remains in effect in K-12 schools.

nytimes.com

Public safety improves when traffic enforcement focuses on dangerous driving, not minor equipment violations. Five years after reform, Ramsey County's data shows fewer unnecessary stops, greater community trust & a continued focus on safety. Read more:

10 years after an officer shot Philando Castile, how have traffic stops changed?

A traffic stop like Castile’s would be less likely today, with Ramsey County’s top prosecutor and law enforcement leaders asking officers to focus on moving violations rather than equipment violations...

twincities.com

FJP joined LEAP and other law enforcement leaders in urging the CO Court of Appeals to restore in-person jail visitation. Family connection supports public safety & successful reentry, and should never be replaced by profit-driven video-only systems. fairandjustprosecution.org/wp-content/u...

Visiting correctional facilities gives judges firsthand insight into what happens after a sentence is imposed, helping ground judicial decision-making in the realities of incarceration and strengthen public confidence in the justice system.

New York set to be first in nation to require judges to visit jails and prisons

The change will take effect beginning Jan. 1, 2028.

spectrumlocalnews.com

New from @prisonpolicy.org: Learn how states that have eliminated discretionary parole continue to use other release mechanisms and where opportunities remain to improve sentence review and release practices. Read the report: www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2026/06...

Since you asked: What does early release look like in states that eliminated discretionary parole?

While 17 states and D.C. have taken discretionary parole off the table for most or all incarcerated people, they still have other forms of parole ...

prisonpolicy.org

Women make up a small share of the justice system, but their incarceration affects families, caregivers, and communities. New research examines those impacts and makes the case for policies that reduce unnecessary justice system involvement. Learn more: counciloncj.org/the-rising-c...

The Rising Cost of Women’s Justice System Involvement - Council on Criminal Justice

The number of women under correctional control is projected to rise to 1.1 million by 2035, with total annual costs increasing by about 34%, or roughly $8 billion.

counciloncj.org

Survivors are not a monolith. New research from @thecfsy.bsky.social and Baker McKenzie highlights the diverse perspectives of people impacted by youth violence and challenges assumptions about what survivors want from the justice system. insight.bakermckenzie.com/cfsy-report-...

CFSY Survivor Report 2026

insight.bakermckenzie.com

A new report examines how mass deportation policies can undermine public safety by disrupting criminal prosecutions, deporting victims and witnesses, and preventing accountability for serious crimes. Learn more: democrats-judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

A DOJ proposed rule would make it easier for states to fast-track death penalty cases while weakening oversight, reducing transparency, and increasing the risk that wrongful convictions go uncorrected. Read more about why FJP opposes the rule: fairandjustprosecution.org/2026/05/fjp-...

Why FJP Opposes the Proposed Rule on State Capital Counsel Certification - Fair and Just Prosecution

FJP Analysis A proposed Department of Justice rule, issued amid the Trump administration’s broader effort to expand and accelerate use of the death penalty and revive failed “tough on crime” policies,...

fairandjustprosecution.org

Prosecutors make some of the most consequential decisions in the criminal justice system. A new report from Prosecutors Alliance Action examines why prosecutorial independence is essential to democratic governance & why it is increasingly under threat. prosecutorsallianceaction.org/wp-content/u...

Research is clear: youth prosecuted in adult courts are more likely to reoffend. A new report from @sentencingproject.bsky.social examines why juvenile courts remain a more effective and developmentally appropriate response for young people. Read more: www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/...

1/7 🧵 NACDL applauds the introduction of the Right to Trial Act (H.R. 9095) — bipartisan legislation to end the corrosive plea-bargaining practices that have virtually eliminated jury trials in the U.S.

A new DOJ proposed rule would weaken oversight in death penalty cases, eliminate public transparency, and make it easier to carry out wrongful executions. At a time when systemic failures continue to plague capital punishment, speeding up executions is dangerous and unjust.

New reporting highlights a growing effort to undermine locally elected prosecutors through state intervention, political retaliation & structural power shifts. Attempts to override the will of voters undermine trust in both democracy & the justice system. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/05/23/t...

Inside the Republican Strategy to Target Progressive Prosecutors in the South

From Texas to Virginia, the GOP is expanding efforts to curtail the power of prosecutors in Democratic-leaning cities.

themarshallproject.org

1/ FJP applauds today’s United States Supreme Court decision in Pitchford v. Cain, a case involving allegations that prosecutors improperly excluded Black jurors from the death penalty trial of Terry Pitchford, a Black defendant.

Federal agents cannot be used to intimidate voters or interfere with the constitutional right to vote. Prosecutors across the country are making clear that protecting safe, free, and fair access to the ballot is essential to democracy. www.politico.com/news/2026/05...

Democratic district attorneys vow to prosecute federal agents who target voting sites

President Donald Trump declined to rule out sending federal troops to polling places, prompting concern from Democrats around the country.

politico.com

Arlington & Falls Church residents got an inside look at how prosecutors use diversion programs and data to advance fairness, accountability, and public safety through interactive “data walks” hosted by Commonwealth’s Attorney Dehghani-Tafti. Learn more: www.arlnow.com/2026/05/20/d...

‘Data walks’ offer window into prosecution and diversion programs in Arlington | ARLnow.com

A pair of open-house-style events held over the weekend provided local residents an up-close look at the inner workings of the commonwealth's attorney's office. The two Interactive Data Walks on Local...

arlnow.com

1/ FJP strongly opposes Georgia House Bill 369, signed into law this week, which creates a separate set of election rules for prosecutors and local officials in only five Metro Atlanta counties. This law raises serious constitutional concerns.

Want the latest updates on prosecutorial reform, legal developments, research, and conversations shaping the future of justice? Sign up for Fair and Just Prosecution’s newsletter to stay connected with our work and the leaders driving change nationwide: fairandjustprosecution.org/contact-us/s...

Stay Connected - Fair and Just Prosecution

Stay connected to FJP Click here to stay connected to Fair and Just Prosecution.

fairandjustprosecution.org

Our latest newsletter is out now. It covers our powerful convening in Montgomery, which connected history to modern prosecution, new legal advocacy, federal updates, and stories highlighting innovative prosecutors from across the country. Read it here: mailchi.mp/fairandjustp...

New data from the Prison Policy Initiative shows incarceration is rising again, with nearly 2 million people behind bars. Women’s incarceration is growing at a faster rate, and racial disparities persist.