Public Defenseless 70: Challenging America's Punishment Bureaucracy w/Alec Karakatsanis
Today, Hunter spoke with Alec Karakatsanis, Founder and Executive Director of Civil Rights Corps, for a discussion about dismantling America's punishment bureaucracy. With his work at Civil Rights Corps, Alec brought to light the immense human suffering caused by the punishment bureaucracy by highlighting the stories of people caught in it and then pushing massive class action lawsuits.
This model of story collecting, storytelling, and then systemic challenges is one the Alec hopes public defender offices around the country will replicate as the success his organization gets in challenging cash bail becomes more widespread.
However great the successes have been, the bureaucracy will not crumble with a few cuts here and there. Alec, like many of Hunter's previous guests, calls for more systemic level thinking, systemic level challenges, and implores those with exposure to the usual cruelty of our legal system to collect and share those stories. With enough of those stories, Alec believes the heart's and minds of attorney and non-attorney alike will change and embrace a more just, equitable, and fair legal system
Guest:
Alec Karakatsanis, Founder and Executive Director, Civil Rights Corps
Key Topics:
- Alec's Career [5:30]
- Changing the Heart's and Minds of attorneys and non-attorneys about our legal system [7:44]
- The balance Public Defenders strike between the current case and the future one [24:58]
- The issues with Legal Academia [29:58]
- How to bridge the gap between different parts of the political left [33:40]
Resources:
Usual Cruelty by Alec Karakatsanis
https://www.amazon.com/Usual-Cruelty-Complicity-Criminal-Injustice/dp/1620975270
Civil Rights Corps
Accountability New York
Contact Hunter Parnell:
hwparnell@publicdefenseless.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod