A year ago, Weldon Angelos was released from prison after serving nearly 13 years of a 55-year sentence. Today, he’s leading the movement for criminal justice reform in the United States. Weldon’s story about facing over-criminalization and injustice is well-known. He was arrested for selling marijuana while in possession of…
New data showing where Las Vegas police seized property through civil asset forfeiture reveals they were most likely to strike in low-income and minority neighborhoods. A report from the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI) of public records sheds light on how much and from where law enforcement are taking in…
This week, the Department of Justice announced a troubling new directive to ramp up police seizures of cash and property under the controversial practice of civil forfeiture. Civil asset forfeiture is a legal tool which allows law enforcement to seize property they believe has been involved in criminal activity. However, civil…
For years, Louisiana has held the distinction of being the state with the highest incarceration rate in the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. Thanks to a bipartisan criminal justice reform package just signed into law, that may soon change. Lousiana’s “Justice Reinvestment” laws will streamline penalties,…
Far too often, a teenager’s criminal conviction can end up ruining their lives—and costing North Carolina taxpayers millions. That’s because under current law, 16- and 17-year-olds are automatically tried as adults. This year, lawmakers have the chance to pass “Raise the Age” legislation that could make a huge difference in…
The Charles Koch Institute working with Generation Opportunity hosted a panel on the bleak state of our current criminal justice system last weekend at SXSW 2017. This panel brought together some unlikely allies – rapper Snoop Dogg, music producer Weldon Angelos, and Koch Industries’ Mark Holden – to speak to…
Civil asset forfeiture began as a way for the United States government to combat piracy and protect American citizens. Ships involved in criminal activity were confiscated to cripple smuggling operations. Now, the government plays pirate. In the 1980s, Congress passed the Comprehensive Crime Control Act, allowing law enforcement to keep…
Last night, President Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed, Gorsuch would fill the vacancy left by the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia one year ago this month. During his ten years on the bench, Judge Gorsuch garnered a reputation for being a strong defender…
It’s a little over a week into 2017 and Ohio is already leading the way on civil asset forfeiture reform. On January 4th, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed legislation that would require a criminal conviction before civil asset forfeiture laws could be used by law enforcement to confiscate the property…
As President Obama’s final days in office are coming to an end, he has used this opportunity to take a strong stance on criminal justice reform by granting clemency to thousands of incarcerated Americans. Unfortunately, his efforts, while well-intentioned, represent too little too late when it comes to substantial criminal…
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