From High Seas to Highway Robbery: How Civil Asset Forfeiture Became One of the Worst Forms of Government Overreach
Perhaps one of the most frequent questions FreedomWorks gets from our grassroots community when they hear the many stories of innocent people whose property has been wrongfully taken from them…
Justice Reform: Something Bipartisan is Happening in Congress that Could Save Taxpayers Money and Keep Communities Safe
On July 14th and 15th the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a heavily attended hearings on justice reform. A common sentiment throughout the two-day event was gratitude…
Civil Asset Forfeiture: This is Pernicious Stuff, and FreedomWorks is Working to Change It
Jason Pye, Director of Justice Reform, represented FreedomWorks at a panel discussion called "Civil Asset Forfeiture: Undue Process and Overdue Reforms" on June 26 at Americans for Tax Reform…
How the Government Can Take YOUR Stuff (Without Ever Charging You With A Crime)
The thing about civil asset forfeiture is it could affect anybody, at any time. Imagine you are the average young parent. You have two children and are living in the…
Maryland Addresses Sentencing Reform with a Safety Valve
Although Governor Larry Hogan recently missed an incredible opportunity to reform Maryland’s awful civil asset forfeiture laws, he is looking to redeem himself with sentencing reform. The Maryland…
Governor Snyder Wants Smart Justice for Michigan
This week Governor Snyder announced his priorities to reform Michigan’s justice system in a speech made at Goodwill Industries, a company that helps train and employ former prisoners. The governor…
Emphasize Community-Based Treatment for School Ditching, not Big Government
Across our country youth are being introduced to the justice system, not because they have done anything that is normally illegal, but solely because of their age. These youth are…
No-Knock Raids Create Dangers for the Families and Law Enforcement
Cory Maye, a loving father of an 18 month old daughter at the time, was sleeping in his living room the day after Christmas at 12:30 a.m. when he…
Civil Asset Forfeiture: Changing the Way the Police, Police
Law enforcement’s main duties are to keep the public safe and protect our persons and property. In many states, civil asset forfeiture creates a perverse incentive which can change the…
Mandatory Minimums: A 20th Century Solution to a 21st Century Problem (Part 2)
The federal government and many state governments have slowly been moving away from mandatory minimum sentence for nonviolent offenders. Many of these reforms have been tremendously helpful. But more reforms…