History was made on the night of December 18, 2018 when the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan First Step Act.
Read More »Christopher Zoukis
Sentencing Project Fights an Uphill Battle
Since 1986, The Sentencing Project has worked to address ineffectiveness and racial bias in sentencing policy.
Read More »Juvenile Justice Act Reauthorized, After a 16-Year Wait
More than 15 years after the bill's last renewal expired, Congress updated the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act with an unusual degree of consensus.
Read More »Congress Handily Clears “First Step” Criminal Justice Reform Bill
On December 18, by an unexpectedly large 87-12 margin, the Senate passed the “First Step” criminal justice reform bill, setting the stage for final action (House approval of the Senate’s changes and presidential signature). Two days later, the House of Representatives cleared the Senate-passed bill, which President Trump has pledged, by …
Read More »The Curse of Affluenza in a Broken Justice System
Affluenza, the inability to comprehend the consequences of one’s actions thanks to financial privilege and influence, has been with us for all of history.
Read More »First Step Act: Sentencing Reform Finally in Sight in Mississippi and the Nation
For the first time, there is a real solution to a problem that has crippled America in so many ways. If the First Step Act becomes a reality, the problems are finally on their way to being solved.
Read More »Sentencing Reform: With Time Running Out, Revised First Step Act Emerges
A legislative session’s final days can be unpredictable, and the revised First Step Act still has some hardline opponents. But with more states, including some generally conservative ones, adopting their own sentencing reform bills, it looks increasingly likely Congress may do something similar for federal crimes in 2018.
Read More »Florida Voters Restore Ex-Felons’ Voting Rights
Under the newly approved amendment, Florida residents who’ve been convicted of a felony can have their voting rights restored after they complete all terms of their sentence, including parole, probation, or restitution.
Read More »Supreme Court Weighs How to Define Violent Felonies for ACCA
Congress passed the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) in 1984, aiming to bring longer sentences to career criminals committing violent felonies.
Read More »Drugs Suspected in Five Inmate Deaths in Four Days in Arkansas
Systemwide, DOC counted 468 K2-related incidents thus far this year, not counting the most recent five deaths and a dozen or so inmates treated for signs of reactions to the drug.
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