Wise observers of the Texas Legislature have learned to temper their expectations before each session. Yet there was a secret hope that the twin engines of liberal and conservative supporters could push important criminal justice reforms over the finish line.
In October 2014, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson partnered with local law enforcement to establish the First Chance Intervention Program, a rehabilitative diversion program for individuals with first-time, Class B misdemeanor marijuana possession offenses.
Drug policy in the U.S. is changing. After more than 40 years of a War on Drugs that did little to curb supply or demand of illegal highs, jurisdictions across the nation are reconsidering their approach to drugs and drug users, with special emphasis on finding alternatives to incarceration.
The 1.3 percent decline in Texas’ prison population last year was slightly higher than the national drop of one percent, says the Texas Tribune.
Brooke Crowder found her calling in graduate school when she saw a video of young girls being pulled out of a hole in the floor of a brothel in India.
AUSTIN - Stealing is still a crime in Texas, but as of Sept. 1, you may be able to steal more and pay less if you’re caught.
In an effort to give people a perspective of what the future holds, the Texas Tribune is hosting a series of public events across the state that where lawmakers and analysts will cover eight major policy areas such as criminal justice, energy, the environment, health, higher and public education, immigration and transportation.
Each year, the United States observes National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) is celebrating the month this year by launching Somos DPA, an online tribute that recognizes the “significant and far-reaching” contributions of Latino drug-policy reformers to end the war on drugs.
The Coalition for Public Safety and Right on Crime took the Fair Sentencing and Fair Chances National Tour to Texas yesterday, hosting a public event at the Texas Public Policy Foundation in Austin.
Read the rest of this article at The Coalition for Public Safety.
A new report from the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition suggests there are economic and social benefits to expanding Harris County’s drug diversion programs.
