Criminal Justice

Over the last couple of years we’ve made some big strides in our attempts to make our criminal justice system more fair and reasonable (and cheaper) — by ending mandatory minimum sentences and instituting probation reform.  But there’s lots left to do.  Come learn more tomorrow night: What:  DARE, PrYSM, ACLU, and RICARES will present […]

WASHINGTON — Justice Antonin Scalia is unhurt after he tripped outside a restaurant in Providence, R.I. The incident happened Sunday just after the Supreme Court justice had eaten at an Italian cafe in Providence’s Federal Hill neighborhood. Christopher Spertini, who works at the restaurant, says he escorted Scalia to the door and that a few

The probation reform legislation we’ve been pushing for four years — and for which former AG Jim O’Neil indicated his support earlier this spring — is back in front of the Governor. We have some hope that the bill will become law this year, after repeated vetoes.  More info on the legislation here, and lots

Former Attorney General Jim O’Neil has come out in strong support of reforming the state’s probation rules — the very rules he put in place when he was in office. The Senate hearing on Sen Perry’s probation reform bill is today. (I’m the House sponsor.) Former Attorney General Joins Supporters of Probation Reform Legislation Urges

I have this article up at HuffPo today. Essentially, I think that Dems are misreading a lot of the angst that’s out there right now. It’s not cause to clam up — it’s a reason to show some fight. Criminal justice reform plays well to our base, and also to many Ron Paulies and crew,

This is by Bruce Reilly, via RIFuture: A hearing will be held tomorrow in the House Judiciary Committee at 4pm to weigh the current practice of counting prisoners as residents of Cranston, thereby artificially adding people to House Districts 15 and 16, and Senate District 27.  Being a Census year, the General Assembly will be

As many readers know, from years of our yapping about it, Rhode Island has the most heavy-handed probation laws in the country. Sentences are way longer than average, and it’s far easier than in most places to end up back in prison for a new offense: Violation hearings are held before the trial, so defendants

The Propo should perhaps invest in a few pairs of these:

By Nick Horton: The second series of arrests for indoor prostitution occurred Thursday night, Projo article here, resulting in three arrests of adult women and no human trafficking charges.  From the reports I heard, there were no translators present, and as you can see in the article, all of the women arrested were adults.  No

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This is usually Beth’s beat, but… Rep. Jay Edwards has taken the lead on pot decriminalization, with about half of the members of the House signing on, and many more asserting their support. If it went to a vote today, it’d pass with a veto-proof margin. There is, frankly, a good deal of apprehension in

The Mayor has vetoed the City Council’s recent changes to the Providence External Review Authority, entity that’s meant to monitor police abuse, which has historically been higher in Providence than in all but a couple of other large cities. And he’s upped the ante, by having the City Solicitor sue the Council too. The Mayor

By Bruce Reilly: In this time of fiscal crisis the governor has announced that he will push for a constitutional amendment prohibiting the percentage of the state budget earmarked for prisons from exceeding what is set aside for its public university system. “Choosing universities over prisons,” Mr. Schwarzenegger said in his final annual address to the

Short on time, so I’m just plopping down the press release. Would be wonderful if anybody cared to join us: Press Conference Wednesday, December 16 at Statehouse, 3pm Domestic Violence Victim Asks General Assembly to Override Governor’s Veto and Pass Probation & Innocence Bill On Wednesday there will be a press conference to ask the