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    Policies on Criminal Justice

    CJS Resolution on Prosecutorial Discretion Passed at the 2024 ABA Midyear Meeting

    Resolution 501 urges governments to affirm the essential role of prosecutorial discretion and to protect prosecutors for removal for partisan reasons. Other co-sponsored resolutions that passed are: #506 (timely reporting of all deaths and independent investigation into the cause of any death that occurs in a correctional institution or in the custody of law enforcement); #602 (Principles for Juries and Jury Trials).

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    New Task Force: Prosecutorial Independence

    The goal is to preserve and strengthen prosecutorial independence and enhance the American public’s understanding of the prosecutor’s critical role in maintaining the integrity of the criminal justice system.

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    New Report: Judgment Drafting

    The first installment in a series of International Criminal Law Practice Project publications identifying best practices and providing practical guidance for common challenges faced by practitioners of international criminal law. Judgment Drafting addresses a range of issues unique to the complex judgments produced through atrocity crimes cases.

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    The Project

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    Plea Bargaining Report

    The ABA CJS Plea Bargaining Task Force released its report on the state of plea bargaining in the US and its 14 Principles for reforming the plea bargaining system.

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    The Task Force

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    Report: Pulling Back the Curtain

    A Follow-Up Report from the ABA Criminal Justice Section's Task Force: Women in Criminal Justice.

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    CJS Statement on Racial Equity in the Justice System

    The Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association stands in solidarity with all who demand an end to racism, inequality and injustice.

    Central clearinghouse of ABA resources on

    Racial Equity in the Justice System

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    Atrocity Crimes Initiative

    Working with the ABA Center for Human Rights to prevent genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, and to ensure perpetrators are held accountable.

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    Project: Legal Education Police Practices Consortium

    The Consortium aims to contribute to the national effort examining and addressing legal issues in policing and public safety, including conduct, oversight, and the evolving nature of police work. The Consortium will leverage the ABA’s expertise and that of participating ABA accredited law schools to collaborate on projects to develop and implement better police practices throughout the United States.

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    Report on the First Step Act Implementation

    The ABA Criminal Justice Section has released a report from its Task Force on the Implementation of the First Step Act that includes three concerns surrounding the implementation of the criminal justice reform law that was enacted in 2018.

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    Index of Criminal Justice Policies

    ABA Criminal Justice Policy Resolutions from 1996 to Present (Chronological)

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    Criminal Justice Standards

    For fifty years, the ABA Criminal Justice Standards have guided policymakers and practitioners working in the criminal justice arena.

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    Amicus Briefs

    Amicus briefs filed by the American Bar Association at the request of the Criminal Justice Section

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    Policy Projects

    ABA Policy Resources