Louisiana could benefit considerably from changes to the way in which convicted criminals are sentenced. Under the current determinate sentencing scheme, nonviolent offenders who pose little or no threat to society are routinely sentenced to long and costly terms in prison with no opportunity for parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Sentencing reforms could include reducing the length of mandatory minimum prison sentences for nonviolent offenses, expanding parole eligibility for certain nonviolent offenses, and limiting the scope of the habitual offender law's application.
Too many Houston crimes go unsolved. Here’s how to change that.
The latest HPD scandal underscores a national problem. Commit a crime, get caught and go to jail — directly to jail. It’s the justice lesson we learned growing up, but it’s far from reality in cities across the nation, where clearance rates are abominably low. News out of Houston is compounding the issue of unsolved crimes after the Houston...