The National Sheriffs’ Association estimates between one-half to two-thirds of inmates in county jails nationwide have a problem with drug dependence or abuse. In some areas, local law enforcement says, the rates are higher. As a result, many county jails have found themselves transformed into some of the biggest drug treatment centers in their areas. […]
Category: Rehabilitation and Recidivism
Article: Massachusetts Top Court Okays Requiring Drug-Free Probation
Can a court make a probationer’s staying drug-free a condition of staying out of jail on probation, even if the probationer is already addicted? The top state court in Massachusetts recently answered that question with a resounding “yes,” rejecting a challenge claiming it was cruel and unusual punishment to stiffen probation terms for Julie Eldred, […]
Article: New York’s New Law on Sealing Criminal Records: How It Works, What It Covers
The New York state legislature passed, as part of the 2017-2018 budget bill, a new section 160.59, titled “Sealing of Certain Convictions,” which amends the state’s criminal laws. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it on April 10, 2017, and the new law will take effect 180 days later, on October 7, 2017, and will apply to […]
Article: The Bipartisan Federal Safe Justice Act, H.R. 2944
On June 25, a political odd couple of House Judiciary Committee members Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) joined to co-sponsor a far-reaching bill to revamp the nation’s criminal justice system: the Safe, Accountable, Fair and Effective (SAFE) Justice Act (H.R. 2944). The bill’s 37 other co-sponsors to date, evenly divided between the […]