In episode 133, we speak with Dr. Ilana Friedman about one of the most debated issues in criminal justice: police accountability. Why do officers so rarely face criminal consequences after using deadly force, even amid widespread calls for reform? Drawing on her forthcoming article, The Architecture of Police Impunity, Dr. Friedman explains how investigations into police use of force actually unfold, why layers of oversight often fail to produce meaningful accountability, and how institutional relationships, information flow, and legal protections shape investigative outcomes. We also discuss what genuine reform might require—and why changing the system is far more complicated than simply adding another layer of oversight.
Ilana Friedman is an Assistant Professor at the J. David Rosenberg College of Law at the University of Kentucky. Her research sits at the intersection of law, organizations, and criminal justice, with a focus on how investigations into police use of force actually function in practice and why accountability so often fails to materialize.
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Coming Soon.
Get in touch with Ilana:
University of Kentucky Website // IFriedman AT uky.edu
Below is the paper authored by Ilana that was
discussed in this episode of The Crim Academy:
Friedman, I. (2026). The Architecture of Police Impunity. American Criminal Law Review.