Criminal justice is a tough issue. It’s easy to say “lock ’em up!” It’s so easy, in fact, that that’s exactly what nearly every politician says. But unless you’re going to lock ’em all up forever, you have to think about what happens when a convicted criminal is released.

In this episode of the Personal Responsibility Lawyer podcast, I interview Prof. Rachel Barkow (@RachelBarkow), author of Prisoners of Politics (click the link to buy on Amazon). Prof. Barkow teaches at New York University Law School, where she is the Vice Dean and Segal Family Professor of Regulatory Law and Policy. Her resume is exceptionally impressive, and I unintentionally gave it short shrift when I introduced her in this episode. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School, where she was on the Harvard Law Review. After law school, she served as a law clerk to Judge Laurence Silberman of the DC Court of Appeals, and then for Antonin Scalia at the United States Supreme Court. She then served in private practice before entering academia. She is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Perhaps most important for Prof. Barkow’s criminal justice expertise, she was appointed by President Obama as a Commissioner on the United States Sentencing Commission, where she served from 2013-2019. Since 2010, she has been a member of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Policy Advisory Panel.

It would be silly of me to try to recap this whole episode here, but let’s hit a few highlights. First, while we may think that putting more people in prison makes crime go down, it doesn’t. Arguably, the opposite happens.

Second, we have a lot of penalties that extend beyond the time that a person is in prison, and those things often make it next to impossible for a person to earn an honest living. Obviously, that makes crime more attractive.

Third, longer sentences aren’t the answer (at least for crime prevention) because that’s not what deters crime. The fear of getting caught is what deters crime.

There’s a bunch more. Listen and enjoy this episode! And don’t forget to subscribe!

Finally, a quick reminder that the Personal Responsibility Lawyer is sponsored by my law firm, Lovins Trosclair. We help people who have been through terrible tragedies, serious injuries and even deaths resulting from the irresponsible choices of others. Call us at 512-535-1649 or go to our website, www.LTLegalTeam.com if you need us. We are here to help.