As election season continues to gain momentum, reporters are increasingly turning their attention to fact checking claims made by candidates in the earliest stages of their campaigns, including Ron DeSantis' attack on former President Trump’s signature criminal justice reform bill, the First Step Act. CNN's KFile recently took a deep dive into DeSantis' history with First Step, noting the Governor voted for an even stronger version of the bill during his time in Congress and has praised similar reintegration efforts in public forums prior to announcing his bid for the White House.

The federal Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration (FAIR) Act unanimously passed the U.S. House Judiciary Committee this week. Aimed at eliminating the financial incentive for government agencies like the FBI to seize property or assets from individuals who may not ever be charged or accused of committing a crime, the bipartisan FAIR Act stops short of requiring a criminal conviction for forfeiture, but takes important steps to better protect people's property rights and rein in potential abuses.

Preliminary data published in The Atlantic this week suggests that the United States may be experiencing a sharp decline in murders committed this year. Data from more than 90 cities shows a 12% decrease in murders compared with data released from the same period last year.

Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that if he is elected president, he would seek the repeal of the First Step Act—a major criminal justice reform bill signed into law by former President Donald Trump in 2018—even though he voted for a version of the bill while he was a member of Congress. The criticism of DeSantis’ remarks was swift and strong over the weekend, but no reporters went quite so deep as Reason's CJ Ciaramella, who highlighted both the bill's positive impact and how badly DeSantis misrepresented its provisions.

“No one wants to see Republicans be successful in 2024 more than I do,” said former Congressman Doug Collins, author of the First Step Act. “Voters have made it clear: Americans want stronger economies and safer communities, and the First Step Act has been delivering on both those priorities.

Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost to the opioid epidemic over the last two decades, and a new report published this week examines whether this toll has been accompanied by an increase in violence resulting from growth in the illicit opioid market.

Reform provisions—some of which are years in the making—were included in the conference report for SF2909 passed by both chambers and represent a significant step towards creating a fairer and more equitable justice system for all Minnesotans while significantly expanding opportunities for a true second chance.

Sponsored by Representative Tara Simmons (D-Bremerton) and championed by a broad coalition of community organizations, the bill acknowledges that financial obligations disproportionately burden low-income individuals and contribute to a cycle of poverty and recidivism that is detrimental to those individuals and to the safety of Washington communities.

A bipartisan effort to expand Pennsylvania’s 2018 Clean Slate law gathered further momentum today with unanimous passage out of the house judiciary committee.

The vote comes after a coalition of criminal justice advocates, national policy experts, and state lawmakers held a press conference in the state capitol last week.

A bipartisan coalition of criminal justice advocates, national policy experts, and state lawmakers gathered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, April 26 to call for passage of legislation that would expand Pennsylvania’s groundbreaking automated expungement system.

Sponsored by Representative Brian Hill (R-Mustang), HB 2490 allows Oklahomans who have served five years of their suspended sentence or suspended portion of their split sentences in their communities to petition a judge for a sentence modification if they have completed the terms and conditions of their probation—including maintaining or actively seeking employment and completing rehabilitative programming—and they have no pending violations or revocation hearings.

As a divided Pennsylvania legislature considers additional criminal justice reforms this session, the Justice Action Network released a poll showing that Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support expanding the state’s 2018 Clean Slate law and believe the justice system needs improvement.

The event, which is taking place during Second Chance Month, will address both the economic and public safety implications of Minnesota’s current probation, parole, expungement, and other re-entry policies, including best practices and evidence-based recommendations, some of which are currently under consideration by the legislature.

Today, Senate Bill 1290 passed the Arizona House by a margin of 57-0, representing a major step forward for reducing barriers to employment for those exiting prisons and making it easier for employers to hire qualified workers in the state of Arizona.

rime and policing ranked as the number one issue for voters on both sides of the aisle and across much of the state, and there is strong support for common-sense reforms, which prove concerns won't be appeased by knee-jerk reactions to crime. Among the poll's most interesting findings…

A newly-released poll shows that Louisiana voters—including majorities from all party affiliations as well as voters from victim and law enforcement households—support criminal justice solutions that reduce recidivism and emphasize treatment and diversion over more punitive responses like longer sentences.

A January 2023 poll has shown that while Louisiana voters are concerned about crime, they’re thinking about public safety solutions in nuanced, and evidence-based ways, including support for key criminal justice reform policies aimed at reducing recidivism and using tax dollars efficiently.

California Governor Gavin Newsom campaigned on criminal justice reform and has signed some important legislation since his election, but there have been tremendous failures too. Can he navigate the slim margins of support and create a truly rehabilitative environment on U.S. soil?