Jacqueline van Wormer, an assistant professor in the department of criminal justice and criminology at WSU Spokane, gave a presentation about the challenges of national, state and local criminal justice reform at a university common reading event.

Van Wormer, a WSU alumna, said she moved to the juvenile sector of law to instigate change.

She spoke about the increase in youth incarcerations caused by a “super-predator” or fear-based false image of younger generations and zero-tolerance policies in schools.

Reforms involve moving away from a charge-based system toward a community-based one, van Wormer said.

“We need to work more closely with research and academic institutions,” van Wormer said.

She said federal change that has occurred under President Barack Obama includes the release of 6,000 inmates released from federal prison and shorter sentences for inmates but that state changes are more fiscally based.

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy has reduced recidivism, or the returning of convicts to prison, by finding community programs such as specializing courts for certain felonies, van Wormer said.

These courts offer help for addicts like mental health support and drug rehabilitation.

“These get to the root of the problem instead of focusing on the offense,” van Wormer said.

This year’s common reading book is “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson which highlights problems with our system of justice.

Reporting by Dana Jensen