We urge conservative legislators to lead the way in addressing an issue often considered off-limits to reform: prisons. Several states have recently shown that they can save on costs without compromising public safety by intelligently reducing their prison populations.
We joined with other conservative leaders last month to announce the Right on Crime Campaign, a national movement urging states to make sensible and proven reforms to our criminal justice system - policies that will cut prison costs while keeping the public safe. Among the prominent signatories are Reagan administration attorney general Ed Meese, former drug czar Asa Hutchinson, David Keene of the American Conservative Union, John Dilulio of the University of Pennsylvania, Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform and Richard Viguerie of ConservativeHQ.com. We all agree that we can keep the public safe while spending fewer tax dollars if we spend them more effectively.
The Right on Crime Campaign represents a seismic shift in the legislative landscape. And it opens the way for a common-sense left-right agreement on an issue that has kept the parties apart for decades.
January 10, 2011
December 03, 2010
Court, jail overload is putting true justice in doubt - USATODAY.com
"There's a huge crunch in the judicial system because of a lack of resources," said Margie Paris, dean of the University of Oregon School of Law. "The speed with which we're moving cases along and the quality of justice is really being compromised."
Paris and others cited three common problems:
•Tougher law enforcement without expansion of jail and court infrastructure;
via www.usatoday.com
