Criminal Justice Stories
- MS aims to expand Fresh Start Act to cut recidivism For thousands of Mississippians leaving prison each year, a single question looms large: Who will hire me? State lawmakers could remove some of the biggest barriers to answering that question by expanding the Fresh Start Act. Backers say it could change lives and save taxpayers […]
- KY advocates: HALT Fentanyl Act won’t address root causes of substance use The federal HALT Fentanyl Act advancing through Congress would increase prison time for fentanyl traffickers. Kentuckians convicted on distribution charges involving more than 10 grams of fentanyl would receive at least five years in prison, or no fewer than 10 if they had […]
- Report: OH RECLAIM a model for juvenile justice reform in other states A new report examined differences in state juvenile justice system financing, looking at how local control can improve outcomes. The report, "Transforming Juvenile Justice Through Strategic Financing," compared seven states and highlighted Ohio's RECLAIM initiative as influential. RECLAIM began in 1993 and encouraged […]
- Getting a read on SD's incarceration woes and improving re-entry Setting aside funding for a new South Dakota prison is a thorny issue for state lawmakers this year. There is also renewed talk about the state's recidivism rate and whether programming is consistent enough to fix any problems. The Prison Policy Initiative said South Dakota […]
- Indiana inches closer to lifesaving law change By Kyla Russell for WISH-TV.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service Collaboration. The Indiana House has passed an extension to the state's Lifeline Law, sending it to the governor's desk for signature. The state's current law, passed in […]
- Morgantown residents will soon decide whether to veto camping ban Next month, the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, will ask residents to vote on whether to keep or eliminate a city ordinance banning camping on public property, enacted last year. Sarah Hutson, a volunteer for the advocacy group West Virginia Can't Wait, said Morgantown has […]
- MS urged to reform mental health system to reduce jail overcrowding As Mississippi grapples with a growing mental health crisis, state and local leaders are being urged to prioritize diversion programs and crisis care systems to prevent the unnecessary incarceration of people with mental illness. It is estimated 2 million people with serious mental illness […]
- Audit: Allegheny County public defenders overwhelmed with caseloads An audit by Allegheny County reveals most public defenders face excessive caseloads and a lack of resources, putting clients at a disadvantage. It showed 36 of 42 trial attorneys carry caseloads above the national average. Robert Perkins, attorney for the Allegheny Lawyers Initiative for Justice, said the […]