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Friday, May 06, 2011

ABA targets 10 states for criminal-justice reforms on minor offenses, pre-trial release, other topics

The American Bar Association is launching an effort to get 10 states to decriminalize minor offenses, ease pre-trial release and otherwise change their criminal laws and court practices to save money. The targeted states are California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.

The effort also includes topics such as prisoner re-entry, increased use of probation and parole, and community corrections. "In each state, the ABA has assembled a team including prosecutors, defense lawyers, and allied organizations to push for change," reports Crime and Justice News. The ABA says it wants to "create an effective, low-cost system that improves our current justice system," and also "promote public safety, reduce recidivism, and save money."

The ABA says reform is needed in pre-trial release because many detainees awaiting trial "do not present a significant risk of flight and are unlikely to pose a public danger, especially when placed into cost-effective pre-trial release supervision program." It cites Kentucky as a model state. Kentucky recently adopted a set of sentencing and related reforms to save money, and Ohio now seems poised to do likewise, "with uncharacteristic bipartisan support," Alan Johnson of The Columbus Dispatch reports.

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