Those of you who enjoyed John Hood’s column earlier this week on bipartisan cooperation linked to criminal justice reform might appreciate a Bloomberg Businessweek article on a similar theme.
[Convicted drug user Chsrles] Canion may never have gone to prison under proposed reforms backed by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, one of many Republicans across the country looking to reduce state corrections spending by softening sentencing laws. On Feb. 27, the state’s GOP-led House of Representatives introduced legislation that calls for special courts to steer drug users into rehab, which Deal says is cheaper than a jail sentence. “We must focus on transforming our corrections system into … a place where low-level offenders are reclaimed and restored to society as functioning members of the community, working to support their own families, and paying taxes,” Deal said last month in a speech to state lawmakers.
Learn more about the John Locke Foundation’s crime-fighting ideas here and by watching the video below of Jon Sanders’ 2010 presentation to legislative election candidates.
