Criminal Injustice
Criminal Injustice began in 2015 as a collaboration between University of Pittsburgh law professor David Harris and NPR station WESA in Pittsburgh. A frequent guest on WESA programs, Harris approached staffers Josh Raulerson and Megan Harris (no relation) with an idea for a podcast: a weekly conversation about problems in the criminal justice system, drawing on his expertise and network of professional contacts.
Criminal Injustice, Bonus: Defund the Police
Minneapolis takes a bold step, announcing it will dismantle the police department that sparked protests nationwide with the murder of George Floyd — and just like that, “defund the police” graduates from activist rallying cry to viable policy option.
For all the handwringing over what the phrase “really means,” it’s really not complicated: people want their city governments to take resources away from lavishly-funded and unaccountable law enforcement agencies, and devote them instead to emergency responders, social services, schools, and civil institutions that advance public safety rather than wage war on their own citizens.
Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed: patreon.com/criminalinjustice
Meet the Host

Professor David Harris and guests take on everything from racial bias to use of force… from surveillance technology to mass incarceration… and from police abuse and misconduct to the astonishing, frequently hilarious misdeeds of “Lawyers Behaving Badly.” It’s not a lecture hall, and you don’t need a law degree to keep up. But you’ll walk away from each episode with a deeper understanding of what’s wrong with the criminal justice system – and what to do about it.
More Episodes
Criminal Injustice, Bonus: Minneapolis Officers Charged
Criminal Injustice, Bonus: #CRSPCast Live
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