Adam Foss: A prosecutor's vision for a better justice system
亚当•福斯: 一名检察官眼中更好的司法系统
By shifting his focus from incarceration to transforming lives, Adam Foss is reinventing the role of the criminal prosecutor. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
the opinions or policies
a Marine and a hairdresser.
养母是一名美发师。
in our communities.
specifically told to stay out of,
ever spent one day in jail
of youthful indiscretion?
criminal justice reform,
to talk to you about today.
since you shared with me,
既然你们都实话实说了,
a confession on my part.
in being a public servant,
that I would ever be a prosecutor.
of law school, I got an internship
我得到了一个实习机会
of Boston Municipal Court.
neighborhood in Boston,
是波士顿的一个贫困社区,
the first day of that internship.
我的人生和法律道路就此改变。
and I saw an auditorium of people
the front of that courtroom
attorney and a prosecutor
about that person without their input.
做出改变这些人一生的决定。
approached the front of that courtroom,
read the facts of each case,
in criminal law,
我是刑法专家,
people in the auditorium,
criminal masterminds
coming to us for help
as a paralegal for a defense attorney,
给一位辩护律师当助手,
被控谋杀的年轻人。
young men accused of murder.
我觉得他们也是有苦衷的。
and the criminal justice system,
were condemned to die in prison,
with those men that I couldn't fathom
for the next 80 years
from happening in the first place.
of small street crimes,
without that help.
drove me to criminal justice work.
我想从中改变它。
made me want to be a defender.
that I came to understand
talking about the problem.
system needs reform,
people in American jails and prisons,
nation on the planet.
people on probation or parole,
people of color,
happening everywhere
没有足够的能力来帮助他们。
are to receive them.
criminal justice reform,
about the prosecutor.
by the Boston Police Department.
he was African American
at a local public school.
wasn't providing the financial opportunity
and sold them on the Internet.
并在网上出售。
of 30 felony charges.
stressed Christopher out the most.
would have on his future.
造成多大的影响。
came across my desk.
但在当时的情况下,
dramatic, in that moment,
a brand-new prosecutor,
for how the decisions I would make
影响克里斯托弗的人生
一直被扣着罪犯的帽子
a felon for the rest of his life
prosecutors step onto the job
of the impact of our decisions,
往往认识不够,
to believe that somehow,
brings about accountability
by our convictions and our trial wins,
的标准就是是否定罪和胜诉
incentivized to be creative
we might not otherwise.
the very goal that we all want,
让我们的社区更安全,
would have arraigned Christopher.
大多数检察官会传讯克里斯托弗。
for what we can do.
would give him a criminal record,
criminal justice system today.
刑事司法系统有多失败。
employment, education or stable housing.
更别说上学和买房子。
factors in his life,
to commit further, more serious crime.
在犯罪的道路上越走越远。
with the criminal justice system,
that he would return again
他的兄弟姐妹
to his children, to his family
outcome for the rest of us.
严重的公共安全问题。
expected to do justice,
希望能主持公正,
justice was in my classes --
are the most powerful actors
not the President
and give him a criminal record
是否给他留下犯罪记录,
him for 30 felonies, for one felony,
或者1条,
Christopher into a plea deal
for Christopher to go to jail.
make every day unfettered,
自由地做出很多决定,
of those decisions.
of professional men of color
参加者是我们市里
free finger sandwiches into my mouth,
免费的三明治条,
at me and approaching me.
并向我走近。
but I couldn't place from where,
但想不起来在哪里见过,
this young man was hugging me.
他已经一把抱住我。
and you changed my life."
for his actions,
where he wouldn't re-offend.
of the computers that he sold
we couldn't recover.
this case could impact his future
关于这件案子如何改变了他的未来
from a four-year school.
I looked at his name tag,
波士顿一家大银行的经理。
of a large bank in Boston.
and making a lot more money than me --
seen him in Roxbury Court.
到现在已经6年了,他成功了。
journey to success,
to keep him on the path.
of Christophers out there,
for public safety than a condemned one.
比一个被判刑的,对公众而言更安全。
to throw the book at Christopher
in Roxbury Court,
一个需要引导的年轻人。
in need of intervention.
quantity of drugs in my late teens,
of the criminal justice system.
and guidance of my district attorney,
for stealing groceries to feed her kids
给孩子吃而被捕,我们帮她
teenager in adult jail
and community supervision.
给他安排社区监护人。
on the streets,
showing up after school,
被那些混帮派的大孩子欺负,
of a lunchbox into his backpack,
normally take prepping our cases
for trial down the road
to the problems as they presented.
your prosecutors to spend theirs?
that we know is failing,
and reallocate it into education,
so we can develop our neighborhoods?
will return to the very same system.
再次被捕,继续蹲监狱。
of creating the problem,
and research for us.
can make that happen.
district attorney's election
让我和我们社区更安全?
me and my neighbors safer?
at the beginning of this talk
of the power of opportunity,
你们阐明了机会的力量,
your own brand of discipline
你们大家都得到了
that you are today --
wield power so great
bring about opportunity,
of a strong community,
that you elect fix them
expensive methods.
who's helping people stay out of jail,
光想着让人坐牢的检察官,
in the system deserve it,
我们宣誓要给予公正的——人民需要它。
and do justice for demand it.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Adam Foss - Juvenile justice reformerBy shifting his focus from incarceration to transforming lives, Adam Foss is reinventing the role of the criminal prosecutor.
Why you should listen
As Assistant District Attorney in the Juvenile Division of Suffolk County, Adam Foss has become one of Boston's leading voices for compassion in criminal justice. Recognizing that prosecutors have a unique opportunity to intervene in offender's lives, Foss co-founded the Roxbury CHOICE Program, a collaborative effort between defendants, the court, the probation department, and the D.A. to recast probation as a transformative experience rather than a punitive process.
In addition to his work with the DA's office, Foss is the founder of the SCDAO Reading Program, a project designed to bridge the achievement gap of area elementary school students.
Adam Foss | Speaker | TED.com