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Report: JAN-Led Bipartisan Reforms Drove Significant Reduction in Use of Civil Asset Forfeiture in Minnesota

Justice Action Network (JAN) Executive Director Lauren Krisai today joined Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha, a bipartisan pairing of lawmakers, and a representative from the Minnesota County Attorney’s Association for a press conference at the State Capitol to unveil a report detailing how bipartisan reform legislation enacted in 2021 has driven a significant reduction in civil asset forfeiture cases in Minnesota. JAN played a key role in the drafting and passage of the 2021 compromise legislation. 

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Justice Action Network Welcomes New Executive Director, Lauren Krisai

“Justice Action Network and Justice Action Network Foundation have led national bipartisan criminal justice reform efforts all over the country for nearly a decade. Our success is built on our commitment to work with anyone and everyone interested in effectuating meaningful and long-lasting change that makes our justice system fairer and improves public safety," said Lauren Krisai, “I’m honored to lead JAN and JANF as we move into our next chapter.” 

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Bipartisan Experts Praise Sentencing Commission After Unanimous Adoption of New Policy Priorities

Washington, DC – The United States Sentencing Commission voted unanimously in favor of adopting a wide range of policy updates Thursday afternoon, including a measure that will further prohibit the consideration of acquitted conduct at sentencing unless that consideration is significantly relevant for the purpose of reducing a sentence. The move comes after the Justice Action Network (JAN) urged the commission to restrict the consideration of acquitted conduct, conduct for which an individual was never convicted, in sentencing for other offenses. JAN Federal Affairs Director JC Hendrickson released the following shortly after the vote:

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Senate Sends Prison Oversight Reform to President Biden, Proves Bipartisan Public Safety Policy Should Be High Priority

The U.S. Senate voted unanimously to send the Federal Prison Oversight Act to President Biden’s desk on Wednesday evening. The move follows overwhelming passage in the House in May, and comes amid months of investigations that have revealed shocking human rights abuses in federal prison facilities across the nation. 

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REPORT: As Party Conventions Kick Off, Actionable Public Safety Policy Opportunities Abound

Federal Criminal Justice Reform: Options for Policymakers 2025-2029 includes policy options for addressing inefficiencies throughout the criminal justice system – from crime prevention to reentry after a period of incarceration – through the lens of bipartisan cooperation, focusing on policies that have already attained strong support from both elected officials and citizens on both sides of the political aisle.

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Ohio Senate Votes Unanimously to Provide ID, Crucial Documents to Ohioans Returning From Incarceration

Columbus, OH – Yesterday, the Ohio Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 198, a measure that will require the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) to provide eligible incarcerated Ohioans with identification and other crucial documents near the end of their term of imprisonment prior to release. Experts point to a lack of documents such as identification as a barrier to obtaining housing and employment after incarceration. When individuals leaving incarceration lack identification, they cannot fill out a job application and employers cannot process their paperwork. This bill will benefit employers and those leaving incarceration alike.

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Arizona Legislature Sends Criminal Record Sealing Bill to Governor, Clarifies Critical Implementation Processes

Today, the Arizona Senate passed Senate Bill 1639, a bill that expands the state’s record sealing statute and access to second chances for those who have made a mistake and remained crime free for a set number of years. The bill, championed by Speaker Ben Toma, continues the state’s commitment to removing barriers to workforce participation for people with prior criminal convictions who have served their time and stayed on the right path. The bill previously passed the Arizona House with a 58-1 vote. Now headed to Governor Hobbs for her signature, the legislation streamlines the process for individuals seeking to seal their records, clarifying eligibility criteria outlined in a 2021 effort that expanded record sealing in the state.

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House Passage of Federal Prison Oversight Act Provides Renewed Bipartisan Momentum for Data-Driven Criminal Justice Reform 

With more than 30 bipartisan co-sponsors, the bill, which passed 392-2 Tuesday evening, would establish an ombudsman within the DOJ who would be tasked with handling complaints from incarcerated individuals, corrections staff and others, as well as provide for risk-based assessments of federal prison facilities. The House action marks the first major bipartisan floor action on broad bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation this Congress. The bill cleared the House Oversight Committee by a vote of 41-1 last month.

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Under Transportation Omnibus Minnesota Will No Longer Tow Cars for Unpaid Parking Tickets

Minnesota took a nation-leading step in ending the practice of towing vehicles for unpaid parking tickets when Governor Walz signed the state’s annual transportation omnibus bill, House File 3436, into law Wednesday morning. Under previous Minnesota state law, towing a vehicle from an expired meter was explicitly prohibited with the exception of vehicles associated with five or more unpaid parking tickets. Originally filed under House File 4762 and Senate File 4926, but later included in the annual omnibus, the measured signed into law today removes that exception.

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New Federal Rules Modernize Juvenile Sentencing, Correct Misuse of Acquitted Conduct 

The U.S. Sentencing Commission finalized rules that drew broad bipartisan support from criminal justice advocates Wednesday.

Among the 2024 changes to federal sentencing guidelines are rules that alter how sentences for offenses committed prior to the age of eighteen are considered in the calculation of a defendant’s criminal history score, and eliminate the consideration of offenses for which a person of any age has been acquitted during subsequent interactions with the justice system.

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Senate Hearing on Solitary Confinement Highlights Need for Prison Oversight

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the use of solitary confinement in federal facilities Tuesday morning, including an extensive look at the roughly eight percent of individuals in restrictive housing under the Bureau of Prisons on any given day this year. 

The Bureau of Prisons uses solitary or restrictive housing arrangements for incarcerated people for reasons that include inmate and staff safety and for disciplinary reasons. However, even relatively short stays in solitary confinement can exacerbate mental health problems, increase behavioral health crises, and lead to unintended consequences for both staff and incarcerated people, including increased risk of abuse and neglect.  

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Committee Markup of Bipartisan Prison Oversight Bill is a Promising Step Towards Federal Transparency, Accountability

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a markup of H.R. 3019, the Federal Prison Oversight Act, on Wednesday. With 30 bipartisan co-sponsors, the bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, would establish an ombudsman within the DOJ who would be tasked handling complaints from incarcerated individuals, corrections staff and others, as well as provide for risk-based assessments of federal prison facilities.

The hearing follows a February report that showed the majority of non-medical deaths in federal prisons were preventable, and amid frequent news reports of on-going abuses in prisons across the country.

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Justice Action Network Praises Arizona Legislature for Unanimously Passing Workforce Expansion Act, Removing Barriers to Employment

In a significant bipartisan victory, the Arizona Legislature unanimously passed the Workforce Expansion Act (House Bill 2308) today. The bill, which is now headed to the governor for final approval, will reduce barriers to employment in Arizona by limiting the ability for licensing agencies to deny an otherwise qualified applicant an occupational license solely due to a past criminal offense that is unrelated to the occupation for which the license is sought.

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Supreme Court Decision on Sentencing a ‘Call to Congressional Action’: Justice Action Network

A Friday decision from the Supreme Court that split justices by how they interpret the word “and” is garnering renewed interest in federal sentencing and incarceration rates. In Pulsifer v. U.S., Mark E. Pulsifer, who was sentenced for two non-violent drug charges related to selling methamphetamine, argued that he was eligible for relief under former President Trump’s First Step Act because he did not meet all three exclusionary criteria in a list set out in the legislation.

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Bill That Makes It Easier for People on Probation to Obtain Jobs Earns Unanimous House Passage

As Arizona employers continue to struggle to fill open jobs, one group of eager workers may find it easier to accept those positions in the coming months. Senate Bill 1364, sponsored by Senator Shawnna Bolick (R-District 2), passed the House with a unanimous 57-0 vote earlier today, and previously passed the Senate with a unanimous 26-0 vote. The bill now heads to Governor Hobbs for her signature.

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Senate Hearing on Juvenile Fines and Fees ‘Encouraging’: Nation’s Largest Bipartisan Justice Organization

Topeka, KS – A bill heard in the Senate Judiciary committee today would eliminate fines and fees imposed on young people in the youth justice system. If passed, the bill could have significant impact for many of the youth who are subject to the over 4,800 juvenile cases filed in Kansas each year. Because youth rarely have a significant amount of money themselves, experts warn that the burden of any financial obligations often fall on families who may already be struggling with low incomes. Being locked into a cycle of financial insecurity – whether for the family or for the juvenile themselves – increases the likelihood of recidivism, limits opportunities for education and upward mobility, and can lead to life-long consequences both for the individual and the community. State legislatures in Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, and Montana have already taken steps to end the practice of funding the youth justice system through fees.

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Nation’s Largest Criminal Justice Organization Encourages Adoption of Updated Sentencing Guidelines for Youth Offenses, Acquitted Conduct

The United States Sentencing Commission held the first of two days of testimony on updated sentencing guidelines Wednesday. The hearings come after an open public comment period for the guidelines ended last month. Among other changes, the proposal would alter how sentences for offenses committed prior to the age of eighteen are considered in the calculation of a defendant’s criminal history score, and eliminate the consideration of offenses for which a person of any age has been acquitted during subsequent interactions with the justice system.

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DOJ Non-Medical Deaths Report is an Urgent Call to Action

Justice Action Network released the following statement in response to a Thursday report by the Department of Justice that revealed most non-medical deaths in custody could have been prevented:

“The report released today by the Department of Justice is an urgent call to action. No family should ever have to receive a call that a loved one has died while incarcerated simply because a facility was understaffed, under-resourced or out of compliance with BOP policy,” said Inimai Chettiar, Deputy Director for the Justice Action Network “There is strong bipartisan support for comprehensive oversight of our nation’s prisons, and it is long past time for congress to enact the kind of transparency and accountability that will prevent deaths like these in the future.

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JAN Praises Gov. Stitt’s Call For Continued Modernization of the Criminal Justice System

“We applaud Governor Stitt for acknowledging that creating safe communities requires a dual approach of advancing public safety policies and facilitating individuals’ progression out of incarceration cycles,” said Lauren Krisai, Deputy Director at JAN. “We appreciate the Governor's ongoing commitment to modernizing all aspects of the justice system, and mentioning the need for a modernized approach to fines and fees as well as more transparency and accountability around civil asset forfeiture.

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