On this episode of Everyday Injustice, host David Greenwald sits down with Kara Gotsch, Executive Director of The Sentencing Project, for a wide-ranging conversation about the ongoing challenges—and hard-won progress—toward ending mass incarceration in the United States. Gotsch opens with a stark but measured assessment: while the prison population has declined since its peak in the late 2000s, there are troubling signs of political backsliding, with states like Louisiana reversing youth justice reforms and a broader erosion of bipartisan momentum.

Throughout the conversation, Gotsch underscores a central paradox: the U.S. imposes some of the longest prison sentences in the world, yet there is little evidence those sentences improve public safety. In fact, most people who serve decades behind bars—especially those who were young at the time of their offense—pose minimal risk of reoffending upon release. Gotsch calls for capping sentences at 20 years and stresses the importance of “second look” legislation that gives incarcerated people a meaningful chance at rehabilitation and release.

The episode delves into youth justice reform and recent breakthroughs in state courts, which are increasingly recognizing the science behind emerging adult brain development. These rulings challenge life without parole for people under 21 and show the growing influence of evidence-based policy grounded in neuroscience and compassion.

Ultimately, Gotsch argues that data alone won't change hearts and minds. What’s needed, she says, is storytelling—bringing the public closer to the lives of those impacted by incarceration. “There’s no compassion for a number,” she says. “But there is compassion for a human being.” It’s a moving call to reframe justice not as retribution, but as restoration.

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