Lucy Lang Releases Legal Training Plan To Transform Culture At Manhattan District Attorney’s Office; Plan Would Require All Staff To Study Alongside Incarcerated Students
Lang Pledges To Actively Work To Eliminate Inequalities In Criminal Justice System
November 23, 2020
Today, Manhattan District Attorney Candidate Lucy Lang released a comprehensive legal training plan to transform the culture of the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. As Manhattan District Attorney, Lucy will implement cutting edge training that will recognize the rampant inequalities in law enforcement and actively work to eliminate them. Lucy’s plan includes training for procedural justice, trauma-informed prosecution, cultural humility, implicit bias, and ethical obligations.
As an Assistant District Attorney, Lucy created a first of its kind college in prison course – Inside Criminal Justice - which brought together Assistant District Attorneys to study alongside incarcerated students. As District Attorney, Lucy would require participation in this program in order to break down the barriers between incarcerated people and the prosecutors who handle their cases.
“Manhattan needs a District Attorney who is committed to fundamentally changing the culture of law enforcement – and that starts with robust training in trauma-informed prosecution, cultural humility and implicit bias,” said Manhattan District Attorney candidate Lucy Lang. “By breaking down the barriers between prosecutors and those impacted by the decisions they make – from victims, to incarcerated people, their families and communities – we can bring about the systemic change that New Yorkers are calling for. As Manhattan District Attorney, I’m committed to transforming the system and actively working to eliminate the inequalities that have plagued it for far too long.”
Lucy will ensure that training at DANY includes:
Procedural Justice: Procedural Justice, based on the work of scholar Tom Tyler, shows that a criminal justice system that conducts neutral decision making, acts with transparency, treats participants with respect, and gives them a voice achieves reduction in crime and faith in the criminal justice system. As an Assistant, I helped implement Procedural Justice Training at DANY, including delivering an address to the incoming class of Assistant District Attorneys in 2019. The office must train all Assistants on these practices, and conduct ongoing training to ensure that procedural justice is maintained.
Trauma-Informed Prosecution: Trauma-Informed Prosecution Training teaches ADA to center their investigations around victims, to take into account the trauma they have suffered, and to not exacerbate such trauma. Trauma-Informed Prosecution training also trains ADAs to consider trauma when interviewing those who have been accused of crime, and taking such trauma into consideration when considering appropriate case dispositions.
Cultural Humility: Manhattan attracts well-educated and motivated applicants from across the country. When new Assistant District Attorneys start work at the office, they must be trained on the realities of the cultures and communities that reside in the City, and must not make assumptions based on different backgrounds.
Implicit Bias Training: Individuals who are charged with crimes deserve case dispositions that are untainted by any explicit or implicit, or subconscious, prejudice based on race, ethnicity, gender presentation, sexual orientation, or any other criteria other than the individual facts of a given case. Implicit Bias Training helps Assistants realize the source of any biases and to treat cases without any improper influences.
Ethical Obligations: Complying with ethical obligations is inseparable from Procedural Justice; a transparent and respectful system is not afraid to engage in full discovery, including of exculpatory information. Manhattan ADAs will receive annual training on Ethical Obligations, including on Discovery, Brady, Conflicts of Interest, and Disclosure of Law Enforcement materials.
Inside Criminal Justice: Require participation in Inside Criminal Justice, a course in which DA staff members study criminal justice alongside incarcerated students and collaboratively develop policy. This course breaks down barriers between incarcerated people and the prosecutors who handle their cases. By harnessing the power of power of honest discussion, proximity, and the liberal arts model of the exchange of ideas to unite students and bring about better understandings of all involved with the goal of creating a justice system in which all people are treated with dignity and respect.
To learn more about Lucy’s plan to transform the culture at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, visit her plans page.