In 2011, Amy Bach ’86 founded Measures for Justice (measuresforjustice.org) to transform how we measure and understand local criminal justice systems in the United States. The organization, which is based in Rochester, New York, grew out of her acclaimed 2010 book, “Ordinary Injustice: How America Holds Court.” Amy has received considerable recognition for her groundbreaking work, including the 2018 Charles Bronfman Prize, which recognizes outstanding young humanitarians. She talked with us about her time at Chapin and her path beyond 100 East End Avenue.
*Published in the 2019 Alumnae Bulletin
Can you give me a brief overview of Measures for Justice? What led you to establish this organization?
I spent nearly a decade researching and assessing problems plaguing criminal courts and the citizens they serve. My research contributed to the thesis behind my book, Ordinary Injustice: How America Holds Court. The book shows how groups of well-intentioned prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys can become so inured to patterns of problems, they no longer see them. In Quitman County, Mississippi, I met a court clerk named Miss Wiggs who kept lists of cases that were never prosecuted. I used the lists as a roadmap to see what was going on. Together we figured out that entire categories of cases had disappeared. For example, there hadn’t been a domestic violence case prosecuted there in 21 years. When I asked the prosecutor about it he said: “Has it been that long?” He had no idea. Why should he? There’s no data available to show him patterns, errors or omissions.
I founded Measures for Justice (MFJ) in April 2011 so we could see problems like this before they become chronic. The idea is to create measures. So you can compare one county to another. At first, people said it was impossible. They were wrong. The data is there. In May 2017 — after six years of work — we made public six states’ worth of county data online. Now we can tell you how many people are being arrested for low-level misdemeanor crimes and how long they’re staying in jail. How many people are pleading without a lawyer. How much people are paying in-court fees. We can also tell you how different demographics are treated — because all of our data can be broken down by race and ethnicity; gender; indigent status; and age. We’re in a moment for criminal justice. Everyone wants to make the system safer and more fair. And save money. But we can’t do it without the data. That’s why our motto is “No data, no change.”
Specifically, how does your organization work, and what have you accomplished so far?
MFJ developed a set of data-driven performance measures to compare the criminal justice system, county by county, across all 3,000 in the United States. We collect data from state courts and local agencies like prosecutors’ offices, sheriffs’ offices, and public defenders. Then we clean, code and put the data out there, so people can use it. We began with six states and are headed to 20 states by 2020. Then all 50. We’re making great progress. For instance, Florida recently passed a historic data-collection bill inspired by our work. Other states are lining up to do the same.
What do you find most rewarding about your work? Most challenging?
We are doing something no one has done before, which is extremely gratifying. In the beginning we had to fight to prove that county level measurement is possible. Now, people are coming to us for help because they want to do it. The shift has been pretty wild. The hardest part is challenging the status quo. Not everyone wants innovation, in part because the players on the chessboard will have to rearrange. The adjustment can be hard for some people. But they do it.
Chapin’s current theme is “Listen with Compassion, Act with Courage.” What does this theme mean to you in your career? Does it resonate for you personally?
There are people in the criminal justice system that no one pays attention to. People who are charged with a misdemeanor or some other small offense, but who are still stuck in the system. Their stories plus the data are a very powerful combination. Together, they force people to listen with compassion, which is what has to happen for the system to change. At least that’s the first step. The second is to act on what you’ve heard, which always takes courage. Anything different or new takes courage. But you just keep going. Courage is a muscle.
Can you share a bit about your educational and career path?
After Chapin, I went to Brown University to study literature. I wanted to be a journalist. After working as a reporter for a law magazine, I was a Knight Foundation Fellow at Yale Law School. I completed my J.D. at Stanford Law School and then clerked for a federal appellate judge in Miami, the Honorable Rosemary Barkett. Shortly after, I was researching a magazine story when I got the idea for my book, which was published in 2010, and Measures for Justice began the following year. We now have 33 staff members.
What stands out about your Chapin years?
I remember a mural on the second floor that featured women in various professions heading into the future. Walking by that mural every day made me think that being a pioneer was cool, even expected. I also liked my teachers a lot. They were incredibly interesting and committed. They all got inside our heads and my fellow students were so engaged. Chapin was also a very kind place. I remember Mrs. Berendsen being extremely compassionate; she made it clear that it was O.K. to have fun. I can just picture her sitting in a chair at Initiation Night laughing her head off. She was amazing. A great leader in pretty much every way.
In what ways do you feel Chapin prepared you for college and the working world? What specific skills and strengths did Chapin help you develop?
I am still blown away by the quality of the teaching. I learned how to write and think and how to love reading and literature there. Chapin also gave me the freedom to find out what I liked to do. For my Individual Study, I wrote a short story called “The Castle” and made it into a book. I actually sewed the book together. I would actually like that back. It should be in the library. Can I get that back?
What advice would you give to current Chapin students or young alumnae who may be interested in careers in public service?
I remember my 9th grade English teacher, Ms. Handley, an ethereal woman who had us memorize poems every week, and was always talking about the Robert Frost poem, “The Road Not Taken.” That still resonates with me, as it does with a lot of people. I would say, think about what the right solution is and take the road less traveled if you need to. Doing the hard work will pay off, even if the dividend isn’t so clear in the beginning.
You are clearly very busy and accomplished. How do you unwind and recharge?
I love to drive around the Finger Lakes region. Me, my husband, John Markman, and son Leo, 11, all together in the car. We talk a lot. They keep me grounded.