This is the path forward: when prosecutors center their offices on solutions, we don’t have to pick between safety, justice, accountability, healing, and rehabilitation.
“What kind of prosecutor was Kamala Harris? The answer could be pivotal to her campaign.” “Kamala Harris embraces her prosecutor past in campaign against Trump.”
These are just a few of the hundreds of headlines focusing on Kamala Harris’ background as a prosecutor since she became the Democratic nominee for president.
There has perhaps never been such a spotlight on one former prosecutor’s record. While many will use this moment to win political points by debating whether she was too tough or too soft, we can also take this opportunity to learn from Harris’ successes as a prosecutor and consider the types of prosecutors we want in our communities today.
After all, further down the ticket on November 5, voters in 24 states will also cast their ballots for local prosecutors and can help shape the future of our system of justice at the state and local levels. This includes voters in some of the biggest cities in America, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, and Houston.
When Harris became the District Attorney of San Francisco in 2004 – 10 years into California’s extreme and ineffective “three strikes” law – there was no concept or blueprint for a “progressive prosecutor.” District attorneys were mostly expected to win convictions at any cost and seek the harshest punishment possible. Harris sought to make incremental but meaningful changes to the status quo, exploring how a prosecutor’s office can be used not only for punishment but also for prevention and rehabilitation.
Harris saw that locking people up for low-level drug offenses was not an effective use of resources. She largely stopped incarcerating individuals for low-level marijuana possession and launched Back on Track, a diversion program for young adults between 18 and 30 who plead guilty to first-time non-violent drug charges. Instead of being sent to jail, participants received job training, performed community service, and were required to be employed or in school.
