Here’s why Congress must get big government out of the courtroom
Mark Weller and his court-appointed attorney, Brad Hansen, pleaded for leniency from U.S. District Court Judge Mark Bennett, who was at the center of a Washington Post story over…
Congress doesn’t need a commission to tell lawmakers that it’s time for justice reform
There is significant transpartisan movement in the United States Senate to bring long overdue reforms to the justice system. A number of bills have already been introduced, including measures that…
Rand Paul made the constitutional conservative case for justice reform in his nearly 11-hour filibuster
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) offered a nearly 11-hour constitutional seminar on Wednesday evening. He defended Americans’ civil liberties against problematic provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that have been broadly…
Momentum is building in the Senate to get big government out of the courtroom
Over the last several years, many states, particularly where Republicans are in control, have looked for ways to get smarter on how they approach corrections. These states, such as Texas…
Oklahoma becomes the latest Republican state to enact meaningful justice reforms
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed a major bill into law allowing judges to sentence nonviolent offenders below mandatory minimum sentences, a big government, one-size-fits-all policy that costs taxpayers big bucks.
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…
Mandatory Minimums: A 20th Century Solution to a 21st Century Problem (Part 1)
The punishment should fit the crime. A simple maxim that is no longer always followed in this country. For too long many nonviolent criminals have had sentences imposed on them…
Senator Rand Paul on Justice Reform
Last Friday Senator Rand Paul spoke at Bowie State University about the need to reform our justice system. He spoke of the need to reform a system where 2 million…
Judges to Congress: Let Us Issue The Punishments, Not You
One of the problems in the criminal justice system is the existence of mandatory minimum sentences. On the federal level, these are laws imposed by Congress that require judges…
How Congress Forbids Judges From Doing Their Job
How should the punishment for convicted offenders be determined? Option 1: Judges have discretion and flexibility when it comes to determining punishment. They have the ability to determine the length…