Dismissed cases should not be on your record forever
Thomas Lyons | March 14, 2018
Let’s say twenty five years ago, you and your freshman college roommate are riding in his car when an officer decides to stop the vehicle. The officer discovers a…
Members named to the Governor’s Justice Reinvestment Oversight Council
Elain Ellerbe | March 5, 2018
At the end of 2017, Governor John Bel Edwards issued an Executive Order establishing the Governor’s Justice Reinvestment Oversight Council. The 11 council members were recently named. I am…
Arizona is Making Sausage
Kurt Altman | February 20, 2018
I was told once that if you like the law and you like sausage, you should never experience the making of either. I was told this at a cook…
Enact Criminal Justice Reform
Andrew Speno | February 1, 2018
This article by Andrew Speno originally appeared at Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Leader on January 29th, 2018. Thailand is a third-world country notorious for human rights abuses and a corrupt criminal…
Tennessee Seeks to Incentivize Offenders’ Successful Completion of Substance Abuse Treatment
Julie Warren | January 31, 2018
The human toll of the opioid crisis in Tennessee has been devastating. The Tennessee Department of Health reports that in 2016, there were 1,631 fatal overdoses in Tennessee, which…
New Prisons Would Not Increase Public Safety
Andrew Speno | January 31, 2018
Oklahoma stands on the edge of an unprecedented budget crisis with a conservative predicted shortfall of $600 million going into the 2018 legislative session. Programs and services are already…
The Solution to Pre-Trial Release: More Information, Please
Thomas Lyons | January 31, 2018
Determining bond and conditions of pre-trial release is a relatively simple, straightforward process in Wisconsin. After arrest and a short meeting with an attorney, a magistrate will determine bail. …
There’s Good Opportunity to Use Alternatives for Nonviolent Offenders.
Julie Warren | January 31, 2018
“There’s good opportunity to use alternatives for nonviolent offenders.” These are the words of Tony Parker, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC), during his testimony before the…
Watch: Marc Levin on Pretrial Justice
Katie Greer | January 26, 2018
Marc Levin went live to discuss pretrial justice. He revealed that the U.S. spends $13.6 billion on pretrial incarceration. Levin said a common reason that some people are locked…
Data-Driven Reentry Initiative Tackles Recidivism
John Koufos | January 24, 2018
The United States spends roughly 80 billion dollars per year on its various federal, state and local, prison systems. The return on that investment has been a recidivism rate…
Money Bail Recommendations for Kentucky
Julie Warren | January 17, 2018
In August 2017, Governor Bevin convened a reinvestment working group within the Criminal Justice Policy Assessment Council (CJPAC). He charged the group with “develop[ing] fiscally-sound, data driven criminal justice…
Prison Visits – When Technology is Not the Answer
Elain Ellerbe | January 17, 2018
In an article published in the Times Picayune, the newspaper reported on the decision of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff to stop all forms of face-to-face visits for offenders and…