To read the full story, visit:
https://www.bigiftrue.org/2021/08/26/misdemeanors/
To read more about the promising practice of reducing formal court involvement for misdemeanors, see also:
Prosecuting low-level crimes makes us less safe
“It’s an important debate, partly because misdemeanors account for 80 percent of all prosecutions nationally.” A new study that “looked at the effects of prosecuting nonviolent misdemeanors on defendants’ future criminal legal involvement. Across the board, we find that being more lenient on the defendants — that is, erring toward non-prosecution — has big benefits. People who are not prosecuted for misdemeanors are much less likely to find themselves in a courtroom again within two years. Entanglement with the legal system itself seems to be a risk factor for future criminal prosecution. The effects of non-prosecution are biggest for first-time defendants.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/04/06/misdemeanor-prosecution-future-crime/
The public safety benefits of not prosecuting low-level crimes
Both Boston and Baltimore have shown that new thinking on policing and prosecution promotes public safety and protects communities of color. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/17/opinion/public-safety-benefits-not-prosecuting-low-level-crimes/