Dear Friend, In theory, the American criminal legal system aims to punish individuals through punitive measures and incarceration, depending on the severity of the offense and its context. It works to disincentive crime and punish those who commit crime. The criminal justice system, particularly courts, employ an adversarial system, with prosecutors and defense attorneys working to both assert their version of the story. However, the criminal justice system’s historic role in maintaining hierarchy within society contributes to its contemporary role in maintaining systems of power and disenfranchised marginalized communities and people. The racist origins of policing, and their role as slave catchers explicitly working to uphold Jim Crow laws, is one example of this. As I reflect on my enhanced understanding of the American criminal legal system, many of the themes that stand out to me reflect the bias and injustice inherent in the system. I have always been positioned within the opinion that marginalized communities are more susceptible to discrimination and violence, but as I have deepened my understanding of the structures that work to uphold this system, the pervasiveness of the issue has become increasingly apparent. This class worked to highlight many of the issues rooted in legislature and governing bodies that work to uphold structures of power. I found this especially emphasized through vagrancy laws, and similar ways deference to police manifests in law. Beyond this, through the Case Analysis and Film Analytical Assignment, I was able to engage in critical literacy regarding many of the systems of power that operate around my community, and acknowledge the very real ways these systems work to disenfranchise people on the basis of their class. This has provided me with the foundation to question the many institutions that I operate within and around. The intersection between criminalization of class is something that also stood out to me, namely the ways criminalization of immigration, poverty, housing status, race, disability, and mental health, all correspond to disenfranchise people who are the most vulnerable. Moreover, the punitive and fiscal oriented nature of the criminal justice system perpetuates cycles of poverty and incarceration within these communities. From the high cost of obtaining legal counsel, to fines and fees, bail, etc., adequate navigation of the criminal justice system is unobtainable to many. The systems of accountability that exist within these institutions are similarly ineffective in creating change. This was illustrated through the consent decree issued by the Department of Justice to the Seattle Police Department, and the continued racial violence enacted by the SPD. Examining the case of Terry Caver and other similar people harmed by the SPD highlights the pervasiveness of the issue, and the need for additional systems of accountability. Ultimately, the criminal justice system, although intended to punish people who commit crime and deter crimes, leads to perpetuating cycles of poverty and incarceration.