To the Editor:

“Voices Against Criminal Justice Reform” (editorial, Nov. 18) is spot on in its assessment of how local leaders can carry out meaningful criminal justice reform and move us away from failed policies of the past. There is no reason to believe that reforms that aim to address the overuse of jails and stop unjust practices of punishing people just because they are poor will endanger public safety. In fact, it will do the opposite.

Other large cities that have carried out reforms like New York State’s are a testament to the false choice between reform and safety. In Cook County, Illinois, reforms have helped re duce t he jail population by 29 percent over the last three years .

During the same period, crime decreased. This data shows that we can enact forward-thinking, smart solutions that both decrease jail populations and support public safety.

We can’t ignore the success we’re seeing in cities and counties nationwide that are taking steps to tackle the roots of mass incarceration. I hope that those trying to undermine these reforms soon realize that they will find themselves on the wrong side of history.