The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/category/reforming-the-system/)
An estimated 10,000 pet dogs are shot by police officers in the line of duty each year. While officers usually explain the shooting of a pet as ‘self-defense,’ a California law professor argues that there is no requirement of public accountability to test their claims.
After this week’s deadly prison riot at the Lee Correctional Institution, inmate deaths in the state have reached 13 so far this year—already close to last year’s count. It’s a sign that South Carolina’s vaunted justice reforms still leave much to be desired, says a local columnist.
Senate Floor Leader Greg Treat said the proposals that could reach Gov. Mary Fallin’s desk this week will help reduce Oklahoma’s prison population, but he acknowledged there’s still more work to do.
One advocate calls the current debate an unprecedented time for crime survivors. A smaller but visible coalition lobbies for tougher sentences and fewer people on parole.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a sweeping overhaul to the state’s criminal justice system despite concerns about some of its provisions, including a controversial change that would forbid parents from testifying against their minor children.
The House plans action on a prisoner reentry plan crafted by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). Broader sentencing reform proposals have been introduced but they may not proceed without White House support.
Advocates are gathering petitions to put propositions on the November ballot that could either overturn criminal justice reform plans approved in previous years, or extend them further.
For lack of alternatives, thousands of mentally ill individuals are trapped in the justice system. In a conversation with TCR, Alisa Roth, author of “Insane: America’s Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness,” says change will only happen when we reexamine our attitudes towards mental illness.
Two-thirds of the people who cycle in and out of jails also cycle in and out of hospitals in this resource-starved New Jersey city. The connection led authorities to try an experiment that focused on the needs of individuals poorly served by both systems. Authors of a new report on health and criminal justice tell what happened.
Reducing US prison populations requires a strategy that engages all the players in the justice system, from courts to community residents to the media, a panel at NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice was told.