The Recorder has collaborated with students enrolled in Reimagining Criminal Justice, a seminar at Golden Gate University School of Law, to publish this series of student writings. This next generation of lawyers explore a broad range of topics touching on criminal and racial justice, and provide their perspectives and voices on myriad proposals for building a better, more just, system.

Do you believe history repeats itself? The American criminal justice system has repeatedly failed the most vulnerable members of our society. Seventy years ago, we were horrified to lock away mentally ill people in warehouse asylums that would subject them to horrific abuse; yet today we seem perfectly comfortable locking them up in jails and prisons despite data highlighting the detrimental effects.