Justice for All: FreedomWorks’ 5 Principles for a Better Justice System

The American justice system is collapsing under its own weight. Big government policies passed by Congress have led to a justice system that traps nonviolent offenders in an endless cycle. This deprives them of economic opportunities and costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year. The Internal Revenue Service and law enforcement agencies at all levels of government have run roughshod over private property rights and due process through abuse of civil asset forfeiture.

Disrupting this cycle with reasonable and effective justice reforms is key. Many Republican states, such as Texas and Georgia, have already begun carrying this mantle, implementing reforms that have reduced crime, cut repeat offender rates, and saved taxpayers money. These reforms, which focus on treatment for nonviolent offenders as an alternative to incarceration, have allowed law enforcement to use their valuable resources to target violent offenders.

With many Republican and Democratic lawmakers introducing bills to address various aspects of the justice system, FreedomWorks has released a set of five principles that provide a roadmap to meaningful and effective justice reforms:

Justice for All: 5 Principles for a Better Justice System