$ecular#eckler
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The voters who will choose Phillyâs next DA arenât the people with the most at stake
The young, low-income, Black and Hispanic Philadelphians most likely to encounter the DA’s office will be largely unheard.
www.inquirer.com
Laws and social order are to serve the ambitions of law-abiding honest people - not the criminals.“Criminal justice policy is not very much influenced by people who interact with the criminal justice system,” said Jake Grumbach, a political science professor at the University of Washington.
There are multiple reasons for that disconnect, and Tuesday’s primary highlights the intersection of two well-established truths in politics and criminal justice.
Voters on the whole are whiter, wealthier, older, and better-educated than the overall population. They’re much more likely to be homeowners. And that’s particularly true in low-turnout, low-information, local elections outside a presidential year — especially primaries.
Meanwhile, poor people, people of color, and people with less education are much more likely to be arrested, charged, and convicted, and face more severe outcomes, including in bail and sentencing.