Three years later, he found himself finishing up a philosophy concentration, with punishment studies as a focus. He decided that if he was going to write a senior thesis in an esoteric intellectual field like philosophy, he’d also do something real, following his thesis’s conclusion that “an egalitarian system of justice needs to minimize suffering as a result of punishment wherever possible.” Trachtenberg had already spent two summers at the New York–based REFORM Alliance, a national organization dedicated to parole and probation reform.

Trachtenberg knew that Rhode Island’s probation system was gratuitously harsh, “one of the worst probation systems in the country.” He says one in six Black men in the state is currently on probation. He decided to work with House representatives Leonela Felix and Bob Craven to write a bill that would reform the system.

Probation is often dispensed in lieu of a prison sentence. But Rhode Island has long used probation as a gateway to incarceration. “There are about 40,000 things you can do on probation that aren’t crimes but will get you sent to prison,” Trachtenberg says—like failing to report a change of address or being late to a meeting with a probation agent. According to Yale Law School professor James Forman Jr. ’88, existing probation systems give “virtually unbridled discretion” to parole officers.

Trachtenberg’s bill will make Rhode Island’s probation system less punitive. It focuses on limiting misdemeanor probation to one year and establishing a hearing procedure to handle “technical” probation violations. The bill found nearly universal support and at press time is expected to pass in the 2025 legislative session. “The reps I spoke with about the bill were super excited to hear about it,” Trachtenberg says. “They’re like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve wanted to do that for years.’”