John,
Top Trends in Criminal Justice Reform, 2025 describes key changes formerly incarcerated activists, lawmakers, and advocates took to challenge mass incarceration in at least 10 states. Highlights include: -
Decarceration Reforms: Policymakers in Delaware, Georgia, and Maryland adopted or expanded second look and rehabilitation-based release policies
authorizing reconsideration of certain criminal legal sentences after a term of years.
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Collateral Consequences of Conviction: Efforts to reform collateral consequences in 2025 helped guarantee voting rights for persons impacted by the legal system in Connecticut, Colorado, and Washington state, while Illinois lawmakers passed a law authorizing expungement for persons with certain criminal convictions.
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Advancing Youth Justice: Lawmakers in California, Hawaii, and Washington state adopted policies that demonstrated a commitment to supporting young defendants, including imposing limits on non-custodial probation for youth, establishing a minimum age for delinquency prosecution, and funding community-based diversion programs with standardized reporting to improve youth outcomes.
The full briefing paper, which includes details on the authorized legislation, can be found online here. |
