Category Archives: Justice System

Debt Peonage as a Source of Revenue: Paying for Government by Fining the Poor — Podcast April 27, 2015

Posted on April 28, 2015 by William Timberman

On the Backs of the Poor: The Great Recession and the Criminalization of Debt. Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson analyze the effect on the poor, especially minorities, of the disturbing recent trend toward financing hard-pressed local governments through … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Capitalism, Class Conflict, Constitutional Issues, Corrections Policy, Corruption, Democratic Governance, Income Inequality, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Legal Issues, Local Politics, Mass Incarceration, Minimum Wage, Penology, Podcasts, Policing, Private Prisons, Racism | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Debt Peonage as a Source of Revenue: Paying for Government by Fining the Poor — Podcast April 27, 2015

Alessandra Soler Meetze Interview — Podcast April 20, 2015

Posted on April 23, 2015 by William Timberman

The ACLU in Arizona, 2014/15: Some Good News for a Change. Democratic Perspective’s Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson discuss some recent civil liberties litigation victories with Alessandra Soler Meetze, Executive Director of the ACLU for Arizona. Dreamers got their driver’s licenses, Joe Arpaio was enjoined from … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-Gay Discrimination, Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Civil Rights, Constitutional Issues, Corrections Policy, Education Policy, Immigration, Interviews, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Penology, Podcasts, Policing, Private Prisons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Alessandra Soler Meetze Interview — Podcast April 20, 2015

David R. Frazer Interview — Podcast March 9, 2015

Posted on March 14, 2015 by William Timberman

Ethical Meltdown: a Question of Values? Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson welcome David Frazer, respected Arizona attorney and author of Ethical Meltdown: the Need to Recover Our Vanishing Values, for a discussion about the current decay of legal and professional ethics in the United … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Corruption, Ethics, Interviews, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Legal Issues, Morality, Podcasts, Regulatory Agencies | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on David R. Frazer Interview — Podcast March 9, 2015

President Obama and Edward Snowden: Two Perspectives On the State of the Nation — Podcast December 1, 2014

Posted on December 4, 2014 by William Timberman

American Dream or American Nightmare? It Depends On Who You Ask: Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino reflects on the story of the United States in the Twenty-First Century as told from two very different viewpoints: first, that of Laura Poitras’s film Citizenfour, about the fugitive NSA … Continue reading →

Posted in Bigotry, Capitalism, Class Conflict, Constitutional Issues, Corrections Policy, Democratic Governance, Economic Policy, Financial Sector, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy, Government, Homeland Security, Immigration, Income Inequality, Intelligence Agencies, International Relations, Jobs and Employment, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Mass Incarceration, Military Policy, Minimum Wage, National Politics, National Security, Penology, Podcasts, Policing, Poverty, Public Education, Racism, Renewable Energy, Surveillance Programs, Unemployment | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on President Obama and Edward Snowden: Two Perspectives On the State of the Nation — Podcast December 1, 2014

Cops or Occupying Army? Ferguson and the Militarization of Local Police Forces — Podcast September 1, 2014

Posted on September 3, 2014 by William Timberman

Do Small-Town Cops Need Camouflage Combat Uniforms, Machine Guns and Tanks? Democratic Perspective Looks At the Controversy Surrounding Police Militarization in the U.S.  Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson discuss the consequences of racially polarized police staffing patterns, politically motivated fear-mongering about … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice System, Law Enforcement, Podcasts, Policing, Political Polarization, Poverty, Racial Discrimination, Racism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Cops or Occupying Army? Ferguson and the Militarization of Local Police Forces — Podcast September 1, 2014

The Death Penalty: Our National Debate Intensifies — Podcast July 28, 2014

Posted on July 30, 2014 by William Timberman

Lethal Injection: Incompetence In the Service Of Barbarism? Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson investigate the roots of the political infighting which led us to the recent spate of botched executions by lethal injection in Ohio, Oklahoma and our own state, Arizona. Why is it now … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Capital Punishment, Constitutional Issues, Death Penalty, Justice System, National Politics, Penology, Podcasts, U.S. Court System | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Death Penalty: Our National Debate Intensifies — Podcast July 28, 2014

Mass Incarceration: The Failure of Prisons As a Replacement for Social Services — Podcast May 26, 2014

Posted on May 30, 2014 by William Timberman

Tough On Crime: Mass Incarceration As a Case Study in What Can Happen When You Aren’t Careful What You Wish For. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rates per capita of any country in the world, higher even than countries such as China … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Corrections Policy, Criminology, Housekeeping, Immigration, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Legal Issues, Mass Incarceration, National Politics, Penology, Podcasts, Political Contributions, Private Prisons, U.S. Court System | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Mass Incarceration: The Failure of Prisons As a Replacement for Social Services — Podcast May 26, 2014

Civil Liberties and Public Advocacy: the Role of the ACLU — Podcast March 17, 2004

Posted on March 18, 2014 by William Timberman

The ACLU vs. Governmental Overreach. Democratic Perspective welcomes Alessandra Soler Meetze, Executive Director of the ACLU for Arizona, and Michael Lacey, co-founder of the Phoenix New Times, for a discussion of the role of whistleblowers and  journalists in exposing the government’s abuses of … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Bigotry, Constitutional Issues, Government, Immigration, Intelligence Agencies, Interviews, Journalism, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Legal Issues, Marriage Equality, National Security, Podcasts, Surveillance Programs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Civil Liberties and Public Advocacy: the Role of the ACLU — Podcast March 17, 2004

Early Childhood Education: Great Returns From a Modest Investment — Podcast February 17, 2014

Posted on February 19, 2014 by William Timberman

Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later: The Advantages of Investing in Early ChildHood Education. Democratic Perspective co-hosts Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson are joined by Gary LaMaster, one of Democratic Perspective’s producers, to discuss an extensive study by the University of Minnesota and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education Policy, Jobs and Employment, Justice System, Podcasts, Privatization, Public Policy | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Early Childhood Education: Great Returns From a Modest Investment — Podcast February 17, 2014

Turning Prisoners Into Profits.

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Gary LaMaster

On December 9, 2013, Democratic Perspective aired an interview with Dianne Post. Post is an attorney and leader of the Arizona Justice Alliance, a statewide coalition dedicated to exposing the problems with prisons. According to Post, 23 percent of Arizona … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Corrections Policy, Criminology, Government, Interviews, Justice System, LGBT Issues, Private Prisons, Privatization | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Turning Prisoners Into Profits.