WashU Expert: Pope Francis Visit Spotlights Needed Criminal Justice System Reform
Washington University in St. LouisArticle Body 2010Pope Francis is widely expected to address a range of issues when he visits the United States Sept. 22-27, including the crisis of mass incarceration in the U.S. criminal justice system. The attention is needed and welcome, said a criminal justice reform expert at Washington University in St. Louis. “The Pope’s scheduled visit to a prison in Philadelphia will spotlight one of the major issues we are facing as a country — the mass incarceration of millions of citizens, many for minor crimes, at cost of billions of dollars per year,” said Carrie Pettus-Davis, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School and noted national expert on criminal justice system reform and behavioral intervention development.