Civil Forfeiture Blocks Justice for Rape Victim & More
"I've been dealing with this since I was 5 years old and I'm almost 18 and I just want to move on to the next chapter of my life. That money was going to help me do it and without it, it just feels like three steps back. It's honestly so frustrating and difficult."
A North Carolina teenager was hoping to get her life back on track after a state judge ordered a man who sexually abused her to pay her $69,000. Instead, police seized that money through asset forfeiture and the victim was left with nothing. Read more in Reason.
"Was this a systemic issue, and how many people were experiencing it? And what we’ve found is evidence that the law is being violated."
New Jersey has been found to routinely hold hundreds of people in solitary confinement for extended periods, violating a 2019 state law that was implemented to restrict solitary confinement in prisons and jails. A new report by the New Jersey’s Corrections Ombudsperson, Terry Schuster, reveals that around 750 individuals are placed in solitary confinement on any given day in prison "restorative housing units," where many are isolated for disciplinary infractions, often for non-violent offenses such as drug possession or failure to follow orders.
"People rose to the occasion. There was an excitement in the air, because we were going to rebuild the city — and we did that ... We’ve got do that again — and we are."
New Orleans, once facing the ignominious title of the nation's murder capital, has achieved a remarkable drop in violent crime over the past year, with rates falling faster than in most other major U.S. cities, according to new data. The city attributes this improvement to concrete steps taken to combat gun violence, including better policing coordination. However, youth violence remains a concerning issue, as the city grapples with high rates of juvenile murders, and efforts continue to address socioeconomic drivers of crime.
"I want to leave my mark on this planet, and actually help the guys that have been through what I’ve been through and prevent as many kids as possible from going through it. We deserve a second chance. And if given a second chance, we are the hardest working."
Formerly incarcerated individuals at Down North Pizza in Philadelphia—named one of the best pizza restaurants in the US—are getting a second chance at employment, thanks to the restaurant's mission to hire and support those who have struggled to find work after their release from prison. Many employees, like Mike Carter, have turned their lives around and are now working as chefs and mentors. The restaurant aims to reduce recidivism and humanize people who have been in prison, challenging the stigma associated with incarceration.
"There are a number of lessons that [states] haven't learned if the goal is to reduce overdose deaths."
This week, I was interviewed on the Cato Daily podcast and spoke about what states are getting right and wrong when it comes to their responses to opioids and fentanyl and reducing overdose deaths. The full interview is here.