The smart way to stop shootings

People who cause harm must be held accountable, but accountability can take a range of forms. Some cases can be resolved through restorative justice programs that involve victims and communities to determine the appropriate response. Prosecutions for gun crimes should be done in a way that is swift, fair and certain, with a trauma-informed lens that incorporates what we know about violence, behavioral science and youth brain development. In cases where prison is warranted, we have to work towards a prison system that does not brutalize people or incarcerate them for decades longer than necessary.
[Lang is director of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former Manhattan prosecutor. Nims is executive director of the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice & Incarceration Reform.]