The 129 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, and attorneys generals— which represent all 50 states — form Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration, a project of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, according to an IU press release.
The group is an unmatched partnership among top law-enforcement leaders in the U.S. to push for a reduction in unnecessary incarceration and a strengthening of public safety, according to the release.
Riggs uses data to argue against the incarceration of individuals with mental-health issues and for the expansion of assistance for re-entrants.
“Too many people are in jail who don’t deserve to be there, resulting in a breakdown in families, loss of jobs and children growing up without a parent,” Riggs said in the release.
Police chiefs from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., spoke at a press conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C., to announce their policies, according to the release.
Members of Law Enforcement Leaders spoke at the White House on Thursday to discuss why they believe reducing unnecessary incarceration while maintaining public safety is vital.
“Good crime control does not involve imprisoning masses of people,” said Garry McCarthy, Law Enforcement Leaders co-chair and superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, in the release. “It involves arresting and imprisoning the right people. Arresting and imprisoning low-level offenders prevents us from focusing on violent crime.”
The IU Public Policy Institute, established in 1992 within the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, is located in Indianapolis, according to the release. The institute delivers unbiased research and data-driven analysis to assist public, private and nonprofit sectors in making decisions directly affecting quality of life in Indiana and throughout the nation.
Ashleigh Sherman
