meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Why prosecutors, not cops, are the keys to criminal justice reform

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Vox Media Podcast Network

Politics, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary, Philosophy

4.511.1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 August 2017

⏱️ 80 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Angela J. Davis is the former director of the DC public defender service, a professor of law at American University, and editor of a remarkable new book titled Policing the Black Man, which pulls together deeply researched essays on virtually every aspect of how black men and black boys interact with the criminal justice system. It is a revelatory, comprehensive tour of the subject that’s often in the news but rarely treated in a thorough way. We cover a lot of ground in this podcast, looking at everything from disparities in crime rates to sentencing to policing. But perhaps the most important point we cover — which is also the subject of Davis’s chapter in the book — is that the conversation around criminal justice reform often misses the key actors. The debate tends to focus on police, but as Davis writes, "prosecutors are the most powerful officials in the criminal justice system, bar none. Police officers have the power to arrest and bring individuals to the courthouse door. But prosecutors decide whether they enter the door and what happens to them if and when they do.” Books: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs My Beloved World by Justice Sonia Sotomayor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

I'm Lisa Ling, a journalist and host.

0:07.2

And I'm Hoon Lee, but you may know me as Chao on the Max original series War Year, based

0:11.7

on the writings of Bruce Lee.

0:13.4

After every new episode, join us here Hoon and I, and a series of special guests are

0:18.6

going to discuss how the show is made.

0:21.0

So, stream War Year season 3, starting June 29 only on Max.

0:25.5

And join us here, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

0:31.0

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile.

0:32.7

With the price of just about everything going up during inflation, we thought we'd

0:36.3

bring our prices down.

0:38.1

So to help us, we brought in a reverse auctioneer, which is apparently a thing.

0:42.2

Mint Mobile unlimited premium wireless.

0:44.2

I'm going to get 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 15, 15, 15,

0:49.2

15 just 15 bucks a month.

0:50.6

So, give it a try at MintMobile.com slash switch.

0:54.4

New activation and upfront payment for three month plan required.

0:56.5

Taxes and fees extra.

0:57.5

Additional restrictions apply.

0:58.5

MintMobile.com for full terms.

1:00.5

It's hard to get people to care unless they are a member of their family has been impacted

1:06.6

by these laws or been charged.

1:09.5

But so many of them have been now that I think people are starting to look at this issue

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vox Media Podcast Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Vox Media Podcast Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.