Skip to main content

First Appearance | February 2023

February 28, 2023

Developments in Law Enforcement Certification and Decertification

Over the past two years, public interest and legislative action surrounding law enforcement officers has revolved around two main questions: How do we select and train the individuals that police our communities, and what happens if they break our trust? This new NCSL resource has information on changes to certification requirements, decertification measures and state efforts to recruit and retain law enforcement officers.

Read more 

New Technical Implementation Guides for Criminal Justice Data Collection Effort 

Justice Counts is kicking off 2023 by taking a major step toward meeting its mission of making criminal justice data as accurate, accessible and actionable as possible. The Justice Counts Technical Implementation Guides equip criminal justice agencies with the resources they need to publish data that is both comparable to other agencies nationwide and customized to the realities of their own unique operations. With these guides in hand, criminal justice agencies can begin configuring and sharing the data policymakers need to make critical public safety decisions. 

Read more

New 50-State Information on Pretrial First Appearance

NCSL recently released a new report with 50-state information about when a first appearance takes place in criminal cases. At these hearings, defendants are often advised of charges and their constitutional rights. Conditions of pretrial release can be set or modified and sometimes this is a forum for probable cause determinations or other procedural protections. Every state requires that this hearing be held promptly, but increasingly states are setting specific timelines such as within 48 hours. Learn more about the three statutory approaches to the timing of these hearings in this new report.

Read more

New NCSL Resources on Postsecondary Education for Incarcerated Students

NCSL released a new series of briefs focused on state legislation, state policies and NCSL resources related to postsecondary education for incarcerated students and postsecondary prison education programs, including financial aid programs and admissions policies.

Read more

Loading
  • Contact NCSL

  • For more information on this topic, use this form to reach NCSL staff.