Links of Interest
What We Read, August 12-19, 2011
Criminal Justice Court Reform:
- Even conservative states are adopting lighter sentencing policies in response to unsustainable prison costs, reports the New York Times.
- Matthew Iglesias questions the social, political, and economic rationale behind increasingly curtailing formerly incarcerated individuals’ right to work.
Immigration Court Reform:
- The Boston Globe reports that the Obama administration will grant an indefinite reprieve to an estimated thousands of immigrants facing deportation, allowing them to stay and work legally so that officials can more quickly deport convicted criminals and other serious cases.
Community Justice:
- The Christian Science Monitor reports on the latest Annie E Casey Foundation study (pdf) revealing that child poverty grew in 38 states over the past decade, putting the child poverty rate at 20 percent–an increase of 18%. The national poverty level is defined as household income of less than $22,350 for a family of four.
- The League of Women voters, represented by Attorney Thomas Geoghegan, has sued Governor Quinn and 8 members of the Illinois Board of Elections in federal court over the new redistricting standards drawn up by the democratically controlled Illinois General Assembly.