Prison justice covers reforms, legal victories, and policy shifts that make incarceration more humane and equitable. Stories here examine alternatives to imprisonment, reentry programs, and efforts to address racial and economic disparities in criminal legal systems worldwide.
In addition to legalizing marijuana, Illinois HB 1438 offers relief to the roughly 770,000 residents of the state with marijuana-related offenses on their criminal records.
A representative from the Malaysian government said that decriminalization is a step toward a rational drug policy that puts science and public health before punishment and incarceration.
The city council’s vote directed law enforcement to cease investigating and prosecuting individuals for using or possessing drugs sourced from plants, cacti, and mushrooms.
State lawmakers gave final approval to the bill Friday and Gov. JB Pritzker said he will sign the measure, which make Illinois the first state to legalize marijuana sales via its legislature.
The law makes it so first-time possession of up to half an ounce of marijuana is no longer a criminal misdemeanor that carries the potential for jail time, but instead is an infraction that only carries a fine.
Global health experts at the United Nations are recommending that marijuana and its key components be formally rescheduled under international drug treaties. WHO is also moving to make clear that CBD-focused preparations containing no more than 0.2 percent THC are “not under international control” at all.
Michigan is now the first Midwestern state to legally allow recreational cannabis. It’s the 10th state to legalize recreational pot.
Amendment 4 automatically reinstates voting rights for people with felony convictions upon completion of their sentences, including prison, parole and probation.
Washington has become the 20th US state to ban the death penalty, after its Supreme Court ruled the punishment was applied in an “arbitrary and racially biased manner”.
Economics professors found that a minimum wage increase of $.50 an hour reduced the chance that a person would end up back in prison within a year by 2.8%.
