Thoughts About Action and Ideology in Criminal Justice Reform

Abstract

This paper describes four paradoxes of criminal justice reform: (1) Good intentions do not matter and may, in fact, be a detriment; (2) Major changes come about when disparate coalitions merge to make them possible; (3) The structure of incentives matters more than the content of feelings or thoughts; (4) Whatever we do in our lives will, if we are lucky, become the foundation that others who follow us will find in need of change. Implications of these paradoxes for both restorative and community justice reform agendas are discussed.

Keywords:

• Restorative Justice
• Community Justice
• Justice Reform
• Prisons
• Ideology
• Justice Cycles

Notes

Todd R. Clear is Distinguished Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, and Executive Officer of the Program of Doctoral Studies in Criminal Justice, City University of New York Graduate Center. Correspondence to: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, 899 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10019, USA. Tel: [phone]; Email: [email protected]

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Todd R. Clear

Todd R. Clear is Distinguished Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, and Executive Officer of the Program of Doctoral Studies in Criminal Justice, City University of New York Graduate Center. Correspondence to: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, 899 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10019, USA. Tel: [phone]; Email: [email protected]