“Progressive” Prosecutors and “Proper” Punishments

Abstract After decades of relative inattention to prosecutorial elections, academics and activists recently have focused on “progressive prosecutors” as a promising avenue for criminal justice reform. That said, the growing literature on progressive prosecutors reflects little clarity about what makes a prosecutor “progressive.” Recent campaigns reflect disparate visions of how to operationalize “progressive prosecution.” This chapter describes four ideal types of progressive prosecutor: (1) the progressive who prosecutes, (2) the proceduralist prosecutor, (3) the prosecutorial progressive, and (4) the anti-carceral prosecutor. Looking to sentencing policy as a case study, the chapter examines how these different ideal types reflect different visions of criminal justice reform.