Sentencing Reform Equals Less Crime

According to a report released by the advocacy group, The Sentencing Project lenient sentencing does not increase crime. The report uses the examples of New York, New Jersey and California to show that moving toward more lenient punishments for non-violent offenders is linked to lower rates of both violent crime and property crime. These states reduced their prison populations by an average of 25% and saw crime drop between 26- 30% when the state average during the same time period increased by 10%.  

Click here to read the study. 

CA Death Penalty Unconstitutional

Federal Judge Cormac J. Carney found the State of California's death penalty system is unconstitutional. The ruling states that the California death penalty system is in violation of the Constitution's 8th Amendment. The 8th Amendment prohibits the government from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines or cruel and unusual punishments including torture.

For more on the story click here.

Police Militarization

NPR reports on a story from an ACLU investigation about the militarization of police departments. SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams were initially formed to aid police with high risk situations that fell outside regular police department capabilities. They were used for rare situations like hostage rescues, dealing with heavily armed criminal and/or entering barricaded buildings. Today, SWAT teams are used to combat even minor crimes on a daily basis.

Click here to read the article.

Judicial Conflict Of Interest

There are rules in place regarding federal judges hearing cases they have a financial conflict of interest in, regrettably that hasn't stopped them from ruling in such cases. The Center For Public Integrity found 26 cases in the past three years where federal judges had some type of financial interest in a case before them.

Click here to read the article.

Where Is the Reform?

The US Supreme Court, in 2012, ruled juveniles under the age of 18 could not be sentenced to mandatory life sentences. Unfortunately, two years later only 13 of the 28 states using the life sentence have changed their laws. Many of the states that did change their laws still continue to sentence juveniles to long sentences before allowing any chance of parole. Studies show that juveniles committing crimes, even homicide, can be rehabilitated into society showing how unjust these sentences are.

Click here to read the article in the Guardian.

Jonathan Fleming Exonerated

After spending 24 years behind bars for a murder he didn't commit, Jonathan Fleming was finally exonerated and released from prison. Jonathan was on a trip to Disney World with his family in 1989 when Darryl Rush was murdered over a 1,000 miles away in New York. 

Read his story here.

650 Cases of Misconduct

According to the Project On Government Oversight, over a 12 year period, there were 650 cases of misconduct committed by federal prosecutors, judges, and other officials at the Justice Department. Between 2002 and 2013, 400 of the misconduct cases were considered "reckless" or "intentional" by OPR. In 2012, the office received over 1,000 complaints and other correspondence about Justice Department employees (over half of these complaints came from incarcerated individuals) and opened 123 inquiries and investigations.

To read the article click here.

To read the report by POGO click here.

The Felony Murder Rule

Only in America could Ryan Holle serve a life sentence with no possibility of parole for loaning his car to a friend. Ryan, who had no prior record,  was convicted of pre-meditated murder because, before going to sleep for the night, he loaned a friend his car. While Ryan was sleeping his friend committed robbery involving murder. Everyone including the prosecutor agrees that Ryan was asleep in his bed at home at the time of the crime.

This could only happen in America because we are the only country that has a Felony Murder Rule. This rule states that if anyone has anything to do with a felony in which a murder takes place, such as a robbery, that person is as guilty as the person who has committed the murder. Every other country has gotten rid of the felony murder rule because of  unintended consequences.

Read the full story here.