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JAN-Led Bipartisan Reforms Drove Significant Reduction in Civil Asset Forfeiture in Minnesota
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Safer communities. Stronger economies. We change laws that change lives.
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US Sentencing Commission Limits Acquitted Conduct Use Following JAN Comment
JAN’s January 2025 report, State Level Criminal Justice Reform: Bipartisan Policies with Support and Momentum shines a light on actionable policies, with bipartisan support, that will make the criminal justice system more safe, accountable, and fair. The door for reform is wide open, and we hope that this report serves as a resource for identifying policies that can pass in state legislatures today.
Recent Releases
President Joe Biden announced today that he will commute the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals serving time for non-violent drug offenses. These individuals were sentenced to decades in prison under disparity in the law that has since been reduced by the passage of the Fair Sentencing Act in 2010 and federal First Step Act in 2018.
In the early hours of this morning, the Ohio Legislature passed House Bill 315. The bill contains language that requires corrections agencies to equip incarcerated adults and youth with crucial identification documentation that will help them find employment and stable housing as they transition back into their communities.
The Ohio Legislature yesterday overwhelmingly voted to pass House Bill 29, a bipartisan initiative to eliminate barriers to Ohioans by reforming the state’s driver’s license suspension policies. The bill removes the ability to suspend driver’s licenses for failure to pay fines and fees for minor traffic infractions while maintaining enforcement mechanisms for fine and fee payment. It also retroactively reinstates licenses suspended for these debt-related reasons, which could have a hugely positive impact for Ohio’s workforce.
In The News
Governor Josh Shapiro hosted a ceremonial bill signing with Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, Majority Appropriations Chairman Jordan Harris, members of the General Assembly, and criminal justice reform advocates to celebrate the Clean Slate legislation that passed with bipartisan support and was signed by the Governor to make our Commonwealth more fair for all Pennsylvanians.
Jenny Catchings, state policy manager for Justice Action Network, said it can cost a vehicle owner around $640 to retrieve their vehicle from an impound lot, which includes the previous parking debt and new fees incurred by the tow. In addition to how costly towing for debt collection is for lower-income residents, Catchings said the practice is ineffective as well.