Criminal Justice Reform: Urgent. Now. 

among the many things the state legislature should address Is this issue.  The Governor's recommendations are encouraging if the legislature will stay focused and stay at work-in Lansing and working five days a week on public policy proposals and debates.  Paid to be full time.  Voters might start looking more seriously at a part time legislature. 

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/05/18/governor-snyder-special-message-criminal-justice-reform/27537747/

Judicial and Correction System Re-Rhink and Reform

The United States has 5% of world's population, but our prison's house 25% of the world's prisoners.  This country has 50% of the world's lawyers.  

This information comes from a column today by Fared Zacharia and a new book by Conrad Black.  This year we have as a nation begun to think about our justice and corrections systems as we watched riots in Ferguson and in Baltimore.  American's have begun to think about how did so many of our young men in inner cities wide up in our judicial system and eventually in our prisons.  

One issue we will discuss in this blog will be what needs to be fixed so we can reduce our prison population but also restore faith in our nation's legal system.  How can we make our cities safe and have effective justice for all our citizens.  

Prison Reform in Norway A Leadership Opportunity in the Public Square



Maybe as we look at the poverty cycle and the impact on the "opportunity gap" we should take a look at what Norway is doing now in their prisons.  Closing the Opportunity Gap should include what we do in prisons and what we do with ex prisoners as they mainstream into society.  Education  gaps need to be closed and that means GED reforms and pushes, post secondary career training, and baccalaureate opportunities.  All of this needs to begin with sentencing guideline reforms and related issues.    NYT http://nyti.ms/1HMmyZ2



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