Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday comes at a particularly interesting time this year, as recent events bring the administration of justice into sharp focus. Dr. King, in his legendary I Have A Dream Speech, stated that the nation's failure to provide civil rights to its Black citizens was...

As we acknowledge the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy from the March on Washington, it is hard to resist the metaphorical use of water in reference to the administration of justice in our nation.

Katrina prompted a debate about the failure of the Bush...

Last Friday ended a long disturbing saga for those who believe that justice is the cornerstone of civil society and democracy. I was dismayed to read that the U.S. Justice Department does not plan to pursue civil rights violations or other charges against the boot camp employees who...

Last week, the Bureau of Justice Statistics released a report that revealed about 12 percent of youths nationwide held in state-run, privately run or local facilities reported some type of sexual victimization including forced sexual activity with other youth and staff. Staff sexual misconduct was higher in state-run facilities.

It...

A recent incident in Omaha, Nebraska brings urgency to an issue soon to be debated in Congress regarding the handling of youth offenders by juvenile and criminal justice systems. In this case, police shot a 15-year-old boy in the chest following a traffic stop. Investigators said the boy shot...

I continue to be amazed at how many people continue to behave as though race and involvement with the criminal justice system are synonymous. Has it become an accepted fact of life in the United States that the machinery of justice applies almost solely to people of color? I shuddered...