Guest Commentary: The Double Standard of Donald Trump’s Court Sentencing
Many people sentenced in New York State do not have the same options Trump does. They have…
Commentary: Why Even Heinous Crimes Can Generate Extreme Sentences
By David M. Greenwald Executive Editor Once upon a time we know what would have happened with…
Guest Commentary: Policymakers, Time To End Juvenile Life Sentencing
By Buta Biberaj, Carol Siemon and Miriam Aroni Krinsky A viral video in August showed an 8-year-old…
Across the Country Harsh Sentencing Laws Are Tearing Apart Families and Communities
How one single mother lost everything, including her son, because of Michigan’s outdated tough on crime sentencing…
Commentary: Why We Need Sentencing Review Units
By Danielle Silva On Aug. 1, 2019, the New York Times published an opinion piece speaking in…
Governor Newsom Dismantles Cruel, Ineffective Sentence Enhancement
The Governor’s signature reins in an expensive and racially discriminatory one-year sentence enhancement that adds additional years…
The First Beneficiary of a Sentence Review Unit Walks Free
By Sarah Lustbader Last week, San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan reported that a 57-year-old man has…
The Next Step in Criminal Justice Reform: Ending Excessive Punishment for Violent Crimes
Half of U.S. prison population serving time for a violent offense Report features reforms in 19 states…
Commentary: Should There Be Effective Life Without Parole in Non-Capital Cases?
Last week Judge David Reed sentenced Joseph Hernandez to 93 years in prison. That means the 26-year-old…
Commentary: Another Overcharged Case in Yolo – 85 to 100 Years for Gang Robberies?
The case of Joshua Armond Cadenaz-Lopez and Ricky Gomez Hernandez was covered extensively over the course of…
Sunday Commentary: OJ Will Soon Be Free, How Do You Feel about It?
If you had asked me back in 1995 if I would be writing about OJ Simpson in…
State Senate Passes Bill to Repeal Sentence Enhancement for Prior Drug Convictions
Critics Say Long Sentences Failed to Reduce Drug Sales, Exacerbated Racial Disparities in Sentencing, Crippled State and…
A Conservative Case For Criminal Justice Reform
As Senator Mike Lee put it, “Most people, including many conservatives, might think criminal justice reform is…
Senate Unveils Bipartisan Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act
This past week, a bipartisan group of Senators unveiled a plan that could represent a major reform…
Eye on the Courts: Fixing Our Criminal Justice System
Last week, we reported on research from University of Michigan economics professor Michael Mueller-Smith who, upon examining…
Sunday Commentary: New AG Doesn’t Seem Likely to Lead Reform Efforts
The political story was a standoff over the nomination of Loretta Lynch to fill longtime Attorney General…
Making Sensible Sentencing Laws
Last week, we covered Marc Mauer’s proposal where he asserted that they should cap sentences to 20…
Prop 47: Needed Reform or Does It Go Too Far?
Under Proposition 47, the state would reduce, to misdemeanors, offenses for drug possession, petty theft, receiving stolen…
