Race Decriminalization and Criminal Legal System Reform

There is emerging consensus that various components of the criminal legal system have gone too far in capturing and punishing masses of Black men, women, and children. This evolving recognition has helped propel important and pathbreaking criminal legal reforms in recent years, with significant bipartisan support. These reforms have targeted the criminal legal system itself. They strive to address the pain inflicted by the system. However, by concerning themselves solely with the criminal legal system, these reforms do not confront the reality that Black men, women, and children will continue to be devastatingly overrepresented in each stitch of the system. As a result, these reforms do not reach deeply enough. They do not address or confront the reality that simply being Black has been and will continue to be criminalized. This Article asserts that measures beyond these reforms—measures that reach the root of racial criminalization—are necessary for true criminal legal system transformation

Criminal Records, Race and Redemption

Poor individuals of color disproportionately carry the weight of a criminal record. They confront an array of legal and non-legal barriers, the most prominent of which are housing and employment. Federal, State and local governments are implementing measures aimed at easing the everlasting impact of a criminal record. However, these measures, while laudable, fail to address the disconnection between individuals who believe they have moved past their interactions with the criminal justice system and the ways in which decision makers continue to judge them in the years and decades following those interactions. These issues are particularly pronounced for poor individuals of color, who are uniquely stigmatized by their criminal records. To address these issues, this article proposes a redemption-focused approach to criminal records. This approach recognizes that individuals ultimately move past their interactions with the criminal justice system and, therefore, they should no longer be saddled by their criminal records. Thus, the article calls for greatly expanding laws that allow individuals to remove their criminal records from public access and, in the end, allow them to reach redemption

Optomechanical circuits for nanomechanical continuous variable quantum state processing

We propose and analyze a nanomechanical architecture where light is used to perform linear quantum operations on a set of many vibrational modes. Suitable amplitude modulation of a single laser beam is shown to generate squeezing, entanglement, and state-transfer between modes that are selected according to their mechanical oscillation frequency. Current optomechanical devices based on photonic crystals may provide a platform for realizing this scheme.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Reflections and Perspectives on Reentry and Collateral Consequences

This essay addresses the continued and dramatic increase in the numbers of individuals released from correctional institutions and returning to communities across the United States. It provides a brief history of the collateral consequences of criminal convictions, and the ways in which these consequences impede productive reentry. It then highlights national and state efforts to address to persistent reentry obstacles and to better understand the range and scope of collateral consequences. It concludes by offering suggestions for reform

The Design, Construction and Maintenance of Otta Seals

Botswana-guideline-1-design-construction-and-maintenance-of-otta-seals-1999An Otta Seal surfacing was first constructed in Botswana in 1978 on the Oodi - Modipane road. Since then, this type of bituminous surfacing has been used successfully on more than 1000 km of roads comprising more than 20 per cent of the primary and secondary road network of the country. Experience has shown that, in appropriate circumstances, Otta Seal surfacings can be very cost-effective when compared with more traditional bituminous surfacings such as single or double surface dressings (Chip Seals). Moreover, Otta Seals are particularly well suited for use with local materials which may be non-standard or of marginal quality and have proved to be very durable and cost-effective in the harsh, semi-arid climate that prevails in Botswana. The main objective of the Otta Seal Guideline is to provide a ready, practical reference for engineers and technicians at Roads Department and District Councils as well as for consultants, contractors and other organisations that are involved in the specification, design, construction and maintenance of bituminous surfacings. The Guide-line provides detailed guidance on the materials constituents and selection criteria for the Otta Seal as well as a general approach to its design, construction and maintenance. Consideration is also given to various contractual issues associated with the use of Otta Seals and, for completeness, a model specification is also provided. It is my hope that the Otta Seal Guideline will provide useful guidance to practitioners and promote the continued wide-spread use of this innovative type of bituminous surfacing in situations favouring its adoption

Teaching Justice-Connectivity

The author proposes the teaching model which he calls Justice-Connectivity, which will help build in law students the foundation to recognize the various systems, institutions and conditions of their clients, as well as the residents of the communities around law schools