Episodes
-
Recently, with support from Microsoft, VPOPP worked with the Policing Project at NYU School of Law to produce a report about how artificial intelligence (AI) tools are impacting the work of prosecutors around the country. Katie Kinsey, the Policing Project’s chief of staff and tech policy counsel, is a leading voice on what AI can do, should do, and will do in the criminal justice system in the years to come. Simply put, as the technology becomes less expensive, more powerful, and more commonly used, prosecutors owe it to themselves to understand how they can mitigate its risks while still using it to seek justice in their communities.
This episode of True Bill Talk highlights the big themes from this paper -- as well as a few interesting observations that actually didn’t make it into the final report. -
On this episode, Alissa speaks with two women who are reshaping what victim advocacy is and what it could do for our criminal justice system.
Rafiah Muhammad-McCormick became an advocate after her son was killed in her backyard. Today, she works with Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and Rodney’s Village, a nonprofit that she founded. In addition, Rafiah volunteers as a victim’s advocate for Mothers Over Murder. Valerie Craig is the co-founder of Tennessee Voices for Victims. She has spent decades supporting crime victims, including in the wake of mass violence. She also teaches victim impact classes inside prisons, a reminder that the people we prosecute are often victims themselves.
These remarkable women make it clear that “victim advocates” aren’t a monolith in the way they think about criminal prosecution and what it would take to keep communities safe. This conversation offers insights that prosecutors, policymakers, law enforcement officers, and other activists will find fascinating. -
Missing episodes?
-
On April 28, 2025, the Trump Administration issued an executive order aimed broadly at local law enforcement -- but one section stood out. Section 5 of the Order represents a statement of how the Administration intends to get involved in decisions made by local prosecutors.
In this special episode of True Bill Talk, we invite two well-known criminal justice scholars – Professors Carissa Hessick (UNC School of Law) and Brenner Fissell (Villanova Law) — for a deep dive into the language of the executive order, its legal basis, and its political context. -
Torry Johnson was the District Attorney of Davidson County, Tennessee for 26 years. In this conversation, Torry shared his thoughts about the so-called "progressive prosecutor" movement, the right-ward shift in Tennessee’s politics, and how he thinks about the role of the DA when the job has become heavily politicized.
-
Larry Krasner, the Philadelphia District Attorney since 2017, has become something of a lightning rod and is now one of the most well-known prosecutors in the entire country. Larry and two of his line prosecutors were recently in Nashville to visit Vanderbilt Law School and speak with our students about careers in prosecution. While they were in town, we recorded this interview in which they discussed their work and views on the criminal justice system - and some of what they shared will surprise you.
-
True Bill Talk explores the realities of criminal prosecution in America. Each episode features in-depth conversations with prosecutors, policy experts, and advocates with diverse perspectives on the challenges and responsibilities of prosecution. Hosted by Alissa Marque Heydari of the Vanderbilt Project on Prosecution Policy.
