John Pfaff was quoted in The Sentinel about criminal justice and mass incarceration.
For John Pfaff, a professor at Fordham University School of Law, this abundance of highly influential discretion makes prosecutors the most powerful players in criminal justice systems.
“It’s sort of remarkable to me how little attention their discretion gets,” Pfaff said. “No other person has more opportunities to use their discretion.
“Police can decide do I arrest this guy or not,” he said. “But, a prosecutor can decide do I charge him or do I dismiss the charge? Do I accept diversion or do I not? Do I charge him with the misdemeanor or the felony? Do I charge the felony with the mandatory minimum or the one without? … It’s a huge amount of direct control.”
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In his book “Locked In: The True Cause of Mass Incarceration — and How to Achieve Real Reform,” Pfaff explores the role prosecutors have played in driving up incarceration rates in America.