The US Supreme Court decides to apply new drug sentencing guidelines retroactively.
A website updated daily with cases of police brutality and injustice.
A look into the "Selective Prosecution" of a Georgia State politician. The House Judiciary Committee will take a look at a series of cases in which the Department of Justice has been accused of bringing politically motivated and timed prosecutions. These cases generally focus on Democratic elected officials who have been charged with corruption offenses.
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/10/hbc-90001450
Anti-hate-crime Rally at the Justice Department
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hNgylzSOVP3YY1cuSill4w6_EddQ
Police Brutality has become a major focal point for civil rights, and grassroots organizations.
http://www.hrw.org/about/initiatives/police.htm
The following is a 2003 piece of legislation key-sponsored by Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas (CA-26) to impose a $0.10 fee on every munition sold at a retail facility. The aim was to levy a tax on all bullets, thus making deadly weaponary more expensive and less accessable.
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The following are links related to DC’s proposed Human Rights for Ex-Offenders Amendment Act of 2007 which would make it illegal in the District to discriminate based on prior arrest or conviction record.
Washington Post article – D.C. Might Shield Ex-Felons From Discrimination
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/12/AR2007021201431.html
DC City Council Bill B17-0078– Human Rights for Ex-Offenders Amendment Act of 2007
http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/images/00001/20070117160116.pdf
The Federal government provides tax incentives to businesses who hire ex-offenders through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, but not many states provide state tax credits. The links below provide information on those states that do.
California’s Enterprise Zone Hiring Credit (Overview)
http://www.lao.ca.gov/2003/ent_zones/ezones_1203.pdf
California’s Enterprise Zone Hiring Credit (Questions & Answers)
http://ftb.ca.gov/forms/misc/1126.pdf
Illinois Income Tax Act (See Section 216)
http://www.revenue.state.il.us/LegalInformation/IITA.pdf
Iowa Tax Incentives for Hiring Ex-Offenders (Brief Overview)
http://www.state.ia.us/tax/educate/78522.html
Louisiana
Maryland
Texas
Successful re-entry into communities and a reduction in recidivism go hand in hand. Provided below are selected initiatives being introduced around the country as well as useful literature.
Colorado’s Recidivism Reduction Initiative
http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/govnr_dir/ospb/budget/ritter_recidivism_package-2007.pdf
Illinois Second Judicial Circuit – Recidivism Reduction Initiative
http://www.illinoissecondcircuit.info/html/reduce_recidivism.html
Funding for California’s Re-Entry Program
http://pia.ca.gov/pia_publicaffairs/pdf/PR-2007-03-09%20LA%20City%20Re-Entry%20Grant.pdf
From Prison to Home: The Dimensions and Consequences of Prisoner Reentry (Urban Institute)
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/from_prison_to_home.pdf
Understanding the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry (Urban Institute)
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411289_reentry_portfolio.pdf
Gangs and the associated violence are a major issue in certain parts of the country. Below is a link to a brief overview of gang activities in California as well as what the state is doing to combat the problem.
California’s Anti-Gang Initiative
http://gov.ca.gov/issue/anti-gangs/