The Intersection of Technology, Oversight, and Legitimacy in 21st Century Policing

After another year of protests and unrest across the country, criminal justice reform remains a contentious issue. Some cities have experienced an increase in homicide rates, police departments are under intense scrutiny for their handling of police shootings, and prisoners are protesting living conditions. Meanwhile, policymakers are making scant progress to roll back mass incarceration.

Given the decentralized nature of the American criminal justice system, with some 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread across 50 state jurisdictions, which reforms are the most urgent, and what can we realistically expect to accomplish in the near term? To help answer these questions, the Cato Institute will host a conference to address the most pressing issues. The State of American Criminal Justice brings together experts from courtrooms, universities, prisons, and police departments to examine the myriad policies and incentives that drive the criminal justice system at its various stages—seeking insights, strategies, and solutions. Join us for a discussion on some of the most urgent criminal justice questions facing policymakers today at all levels of government.

Panel 3: The Intersection of Technology, Oversight, and Legitimacy in 21st Century Policing

Tracey Meares, Walton Hale Hamilton Professor of Law, Yale University

Elizabeth Joh, Professor of Law, University of California, Davis

Walter Katz, Independent Police Auditor, City of San Jose

Maj. Max Geron, Dallas Police Department

Moderated by Jonathan Blanks, Research Associate, Cato Institute