Posted October 18, 2023 Punishment Isn’t Always the Best Way to Address Crime To help people who might benefit more from treatment than jail time, lawmakers are getting rid of low-level offenses and reducing sentences for some crimes. State Legislatures News, Policy, Civil and Criminal Justice, Legislative Summit
Posted September 26, 2023 Care Campus Has ‘No Wrong Door’ Policy for Those in Need The Care Campus, a Rapid City, S.D., facility that houses several social service operations in one location, is connecting people with mental health treatment and reducing jail intakes for misdemeanor offenses. State Legislatures News, Policy, Children and Families, Civil and Criminal Justice
Posted August 16, 2023 States and Congress Act to Protect Judicial and Election Workers Recent laws safeguarding the personal information of judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers, and providing for additional physical security, can be a model for election officials who face violent threats. State Legislatures News, Policy, Civil and Criminal Justice, Elections, Legislative Summit
Posted June 5, 2023 Jail Is Tough, but Some Groups Hope to Improve What Happens After Release With jails and prisons often housing more people with behavioral health needs than state-run psychiatric facilities, lawmakers and other stakeholders across the country are exploring ways to connect those who need treatment with community-based... State Legislatures News, Children and Families, Civil and Criminal Justice, Health
Posted May 31, 2023 Lawmakers Discuss Ways to Make Clearing a Criminal Record Easier A bipartisan group of state lawmakers recently gathered in Miami at NCSL’s Clean Slate Record Clearing meeting to simplify the process of clearing or sealing the criminal records of people who have completed their sentences and remained... State Legislatures News, Policy, Civil and Criminal Justice
Posted May 1, 2023 Supreme Court to Reexamine Use of Civil Asset Forfeiture 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. State Legislatures News, Policy, Civil and Criminal Justice, State-Federal