Adam Foss is a former Assistant District Attorney (ADA) in the Juvenile Division of the Suffolk County District Attorney\u2019s Office in Boston, MA. Currently, he works as an advocate for juvenile justice reform and prosecutor integrity to ultimately end mass incarceration. Foss wants to replace criminal punishment with opportunity. \u00a0His desire is to reinvent the prosecution profession, requiring better incentives and more measurable metrics for success beyond just \u201ccases won.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foss, a passionate speaker on the topic, gave a TED Talk to make his\u00a0case for a reformed justice system. In “A Prosecutor’s Vision for a Better Justice System,” Foss\u00a0imagines a system that helps young offenders stay out of prison and instead helps them on a path to a more productive life.<\/p>\n
He tells us the story of Christopher, a then 18-year-old African American male who had been arrested in Boston in 2009. In his youth, Christopher\u00a0made the bad decision to steal 30 laptops from his part-time job at Best Buy and sell them online. He was consequently faced with 30 charges of felony larceny.<\/p>\n
As the ADA on the case, Foss feared jail time for Christopher. \u00a0He was even more concerned with the impact a criminal record would have on the 18-year-old’s life. Foss had a choice: he could prosecute Christopher for 30 felonies, one felony, or a misdemeanor.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Foss did not arraign Christopher, but instead, he worked with him to get 75 percent of the computers back, and a made a payment plan for him to repay the store for the rest. Christopher eventually went on to get a scholarship to attend college, and he now works as the manager of a bank in Boston.<\/p>\n
Years later, Christopher approached Foss at an event. \u00a0He hugged him saying, \u201cYou cared about me and you changed my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t take credit for his success, but I certainly did my part in keeping him on the right path,\u201d said Foss.<\/p>\n
Christopher represents just one of the thousands of people who made a mistake. They still deserve to have a second chance at turning their life around and getting back on the right path.<\/p>\n
Foss works to do just that. With his reform initiatives, he is completely\u00a0reinventing the role of the criminal prosecutor. \u00a0He is one of today’s leading voices for compassion in criminal justice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learned the power of the prosecutor to change lives instead of ruin them,\u201d Foss says.<\/p>\n
For more information on Adam Foss, please visit our website<\/a>. If you are interested in booking Foss for your next event, contact us<\/a>!<\/p>\n Watch his full TED Talk here:<\/p>\n