Florida Lawmakers Impose Harsh New Mandatory Minimums for Fentanyl
The Sunshine State ratchets up the drug war.
Sentencing
Appeals Court Rejects 'Shockingly High' 19-Year Sentence for Child Porn Collection
The 2nd Circuit says the recommended prison term was "substantively unreasonable."
How Florida Entraps Pain Patients, Forces Them to Snitch, Then Locks Them Up for Decades
Florida's anti-opioid laws were supposed to take high-level traffickers off the streets. Instead, they put low-level users in prison for most of their lives.
Florida Man Gets Insanely Harsh 100-Year Sentence for Possessing Child Pornography
The judge thinks committing a crime and looking at pictures of it are basically the same thing.
Elected Florida Prosecutor Tries to Stop Using the Death Penalty, but Governor Won't Have It
A cop was killed, so there will be no debate about morality of the system.
The Unjust, Irrational, and Unconstitutional Consequences of Pedophilia Panic
The fear and disgust triggered by this subject help explain why laws dealing with sex offenses involving minors frequently lead to bizarre results.
New Federal Sentencing Data Provides a Reminder That the War on Meth Is Alive and Awful
While overall drug sentences decline, federal methamphetamine offenders still aren't benefiting from the last decade of criminal justice reforms.
Trump's Executive Orders on Crime are More of the Same, Just More Intense Rhetoric, Says Harvey Silverglate
Trump's orders are "draconian" but Obama gets too much credit for too little actual criminal justice reform, according to famed civil liberties attorney.
In Sentencing, Tough Is Not Necessarily Smart
Trump should not take his criminal justice cues from his attorney general.
Obama Issued More Commutations Than Any Previous President but Neglected Pardons
Donald Trump and his attorney general take a dim view of Obama's mercy.
Obama Surpasses Wilson's Commutation Record
The president has now shortened more sentences than any of his predecessors.
Hate Crime Laws Codify Inequality
The reaction to the Facebook Live attack shows how recognizing special victims politicizes justice and foments discord.
Incarceration and Crime Rates Continue to Fall in Tandem
The percentage of adults under correctional supervision last year was the lowest since 1994.
2016: The Year in Blame Shifting
How to dodge responsibility, whether you're a candidate or a cop.
Death Penalty Sentences in America Continue Decline
Only 20 were executed in 2016, the fewest since 1991.
The Press and the White House Gild Obama's Clemency Lily
Obama has not issued more pardons and commutations than any other president or the most in a single day.
The Illogic of Indiscriminate Incarceration
A new report concludes that two-fifths of Americans in prison don't belong there.
Activists to Obama: Speed Up the Clemencies, Please!
Fears that a Trump administration will not be as merciful.
How Much Credit Should Obama Get for Shrinking the Federal Prison Population?
Bipartisan sentencing reforms and falling crime rates have played a much bigger role than commutations or DOJ policy.
Obama Administration Breaks 1,000 Commutations Threshold
Another 79 granted mercy over federal drug war sentences.
Trump's Pick for Attorney General Is a 'Drug War Dinosaur'
Jeff Sessions opposes sentencing reform, defends civil forfeiture, and criticizes the Obama administration for letting states legalize marijuana.
Commuted Sentence Shows Injustice of Crack Penalties and 'Three Strikes' Provision
Donald Graham got one year for each of the two drug offenses he committed as a teenager, then life at 30.
Obama Administration Approaches 1,000 Commutations
Today, 72 federal drug war prisoners get sentences reduced.
ACLU Suit Aims to Stop Debtors' Prison in Texas Town
Group says Santa Fe tosses misdemeanor violators in jail if they can't pay-and starves them, too.
When Is Daddy Coming Home?
How a peaceful pot grower got 15 years as a "career offender"
Obama Commutes Sentences of 98 Drug Offenders, Including 42 Lifers
He could still surpass Nixon in percentage of petitions granted.
Drug Sentences Will Never Be Fair
Commutations and reforms can only ameliorate the inherent injustice of prohibition.
Trump's Stubbornness on the Central Park Five's Guilt a Warning to Criminal Justice Reformers
Not even DNA evidence can get him to change his mind.
Obama Shortens 102 Sentences, Including 35 Life Terms for Nonviolent Drug Offenses
The president has granted 774 commutations so far, 97 percent of them in the second half of his second term.
Watch the Lamest Arguments Against Criminal Justice Reform
Courtesy of the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Wave Farewell to Terrible Florida Prosecutor Angela Corey
Much maligned and noted for her viciousness, she joins a rare trend of voters ousting attorneys.
Obama Will Issue Thousands of Commutations If He Keeps This Month's Pace
The president might even surpass Richard Nixon's commutation rate.
A Single Police Officer's Killing Is a Terrible Reason to Bring Back the Death Penalty
The governor of New Mexico uses emotional response to call for new executions.
Mandatory Minimums Aren't the Answer to Sexual Assault
We can't let one bad judgement tempt us signal feminism by sacrificing justice.
When Is Daddy Coming Home?
How a peaceful pot grower got 15 years as a "career offender"
How a Harmless Pot Grower Gets 15 Years As a 'Career Offender'
Long sentences mandated by Congress do not distinguish between drug offenders and violent criminals.
Obama's Record-Breaking Commutations Leave Much Work to Do
In raw numbers, the president has far surpassed his recent predecessors, but his petition approval rate is only middling.
Obama's Biggest Commutation Announcement Yet Will Help More than 200 Imprisoned in Drug War
Justice Department still expects more before presidency ends.
California Senate Choices Got You Down? Check Out These Ballot Initiatives Instead.
Voters will have 16 other issues to consider Election Day.
Bill Clinton: Tough on Crime, Easy on Himself
The 1994 crime bill is a classic study in Clintonian triangulation.
Federal Criminal Justice Reform May Fail, and Everybody's Blaming Everybody Else
Sorry prisoners-you'll have to wait for the finger-pointing to stop.
When Everything Is a Crime: Harvey Silverglate on the Overregulation of Ordinary Life
"That's what causes change: the people in power begin to get hurt by their own system."
Louisiana Inmates Serving Unconstitutional Sentences Will Have to Keep Waiting for Relief
Louisiana state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson just blocked a bill that would have provided relief to those sentenced as children to life without parole.
Opioid Panic Infects Defense Spending Bill
New Hampshire senator wants to increase federal penalties.
Weldon Angelos Is Free, Thanks to a Prosecutor, Not a President
The young father of three got 55 years for three small-time pot sales.
White House Announces 42 New Commutations
Total for administration reaches 348, but hundreds more may still qualify.
