Conclusion

Abstract

Abstract This conclusion shows that an attack on epistemic agency is therewith an attack on autonomy, dignity, and ultimately on personhood. Suspects, defendants, witnesses, and victims who find their words, actions, and even feelings subjugated to the will of the State are not only wronged as epistemic agents, they are significantly violated as persons. While various reforms to the criminal legal system are recommended throughout this book, at its core, there is a prior, deeper, and far more fundamental transformation that is needed: the recognition and respect of the personhood of all of those who enter its doors. It is only through the hope and promise of respecting the personhood of each participant in the criminal legal system that we can truly grasp what justice demands and, in so doing, to reimagine what is possible.