Racial and Gender Dynamics Regarding Rates of Incarceration

A blog recently posted via the Washington Post highlights notable data on racial and gender dynamics regarding recent changes in the rates of incarceration. Following decades of growth, the U.S. imprisonment rate has been declining for the past several years and hidden within this overall trend is the sizable and surprising racial disparity that African-Americans […]

Drug-War-Era Bans on Federal Benefits

According to the Marshall Project, “drug-war-era bans on benefits are [being] lifted” as the number of states still denying federal benefits to former drug felons is shrinking. 18 states have completely abandoned the federal prohibition on drug offenders receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or food stamps, while 26 other states have partly eased […]

Federal Prison Population

Thanks to retroactive drug guidelines, federal prison population under 200,000 for first time in nearly a decade. Finally, we’re headed in the right direction!

Federal Drug Sentencings

As reported in the Washington Post, former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. yesterday “urged Congress not to let slip away ‘a historic opportunity’ to overhaul federal drug sentencing laws and said lawmakers should consider further changes in House and Senate talks if pending legislation is approved.” Among a list of recommendations, Holder called […]