Elected prosecutors increasingly campaign on racial justice even while most districts remain uncontested

Evidence

We are not talking about critical mass here: most district and state attorney positions are uncontested and too much of the prosecutorial rhetoric still heavily relies on “public safety,”—a euphemism for an old “tough-on-crime” mantra. However, a handful of prosecutors who have ousted incumbents in recent years managed to embrace a balanced approach to prosecution, one that aims at minimizing harm and increasing community well-being as opposed to overcharging and seeking maximum sentences (for more, see Davis, 2018). — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 598

Categorization

• QUESTION: The claim that prosecution reforms depend partly on ousting incumbents suggests questions about what makes reformist prosecutors able to win contested races.