The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case that could determine the ability of state law enforcement agencies to use civil asset forfeiture, a practice that four states have abolished entirely.

Lawmakers are addressing the public safety challenges that emerged during the pandemic by tailoring juvenile and criminal justice policies and using evidence-informed and community-tailored strategies to reduce violence.

The monetary penalties and legal financial obligations associated with being involved in the criminal justice system—and their effect on low-income defendants—have been a growing cause of concern among policymakers.

As the nation navigates the lingering challenges of the pandemic, new public safety concerns have emerged, among them fentanyl overdoses, carjackings, catalytic converter thefts and other crimes of opportunity.

The struggle to employ workers tops the list of concerns state lawmakers will focus on in 2023 legislative sessions, according to NCSL CEO Tim Storey.

After her father was killed in a hit-and-run, she wanted the 13-year-old driver punished. Until she didn’t. “I had an epiphany one night: that he was 13 and did not wake up that day saying, ‘What 71-year-old man can I kill...