Ways in Which Joe Biden’s Victory Affects the World of Criminal Justice

Joe Biden ran this presidential campaign with a lot of hopes for bringing changes across industries and the legal systems of The United States of America. He ran on one of the most progressive criminal justice platforms. There is a world of things that his victory means for criminal justice. So what is it that he can actually do?

If one can remember, Biden promised a variety of things during his presidential campaign. He promised to end the institutions of private prisons, mandatory minimum-sentencing and also aimed at getting rid of the death penalty.

These are too good to be celebrated just about now, since he just got elected as the President of the United States. However, it is still not too bold to think that he might just be able to deliver on his promises if he uses his platform just right.

Overcoming a Series of Constraints:

Biden shall face a series of constraints and have to cross boatloads of impediments as every incoming President. Plus, with an ongoing pandemic, his first priority must be to manage the issue at hand and deal with the economic fallout.

These are two of the key issues that he, along with Kamala Harris, need to tackle in the early days. Plus, it must be noted and acknowledged that a government does not just change overnight. It takes its own sweet time even with things speeding up, and resources are limited. Therefore, there are constraints and hurdles that Biden’s administration must overcome before tackling other issues.

However, if he really intends to deliver on what he promised to, in criminal justice, there are a few things that experts, like the ones from https://www.criminallawyer-chicago.com have to say.

Let us look into what can be expected from Joe Biden’s victory over the next few segments of the article.

Reforms in Policing:

One of the major issues that have been at the forefront in the U.S. along with the pandemic, is that of policing. Biden’s victory could be the key to bringing about several reforms in policing. Biden might now be vested with the political power to act and bring about changes.

However, policing is more local and bringing about a nationwide change might not be too feasible at any given point. Biden’s administration must be aware of this constraint before devising policies of bringing changes at the federal level.

There are about 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. If Biden has to bring fair changes, the best he could do is cut funds if the agencies do not comply with the guidance by his Department of Justice. Experts, however, also believe that Biden might be able to build on the work that the Obama administration’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing had begun.

Reforms in the Death Penalty:

The second expectation out of Biden’s administration is that of bringing about reforms in the death penalty. Now, it must be known that Biden himself cannot do away with the death penalty for good. However, he could speed up its removal and usher a new era in the criminal justice system of America.

During his campaign, Biden stressed the importance of doing away with the death penalty for good. However, as a senator, his records have been dubious. He now emphasizes the importance of replacing the death penalty with more stringent forms of life sentences.

According to him, the life sentences must be made more severe and should be without any parole, instead of using the death penalty. However, some experts believe this to be way harsher than the death penalty.

Final Notes on Biden’s Administration:

Biden has been making several lofty promises ever since he started running for President. It is now expected out of him to materialize these into realities and make some quick damage recoveries in the economy and overall reputation of the U.S. However, it must be noted that every incoming President faces some challenges that might be difficult to brave, even with all the resources at one’s disposal. The mismanagement of the pandemic is the first issue that must be tackled. Then comes everything else. Therefore, what now remains is to wait and let time unfurl what Joe Biden has in store for the future of America.