This webinar examined trends and corresponding state policies to address the most dramatic change in the U.S. prison system, one that is having far-reaching effects on all components of the criminal justice system: the increasing number of elderly inmates. 

The War on Marijuana in Black and White, a report published by the American Civil Liberties Union in June 2013, looks at marijuana possession arrest rates and racial disparities among these arrests, as well as the costs of enforcement for all state and counties from 2001 to 2010.  

Washington, like many states in the 1990s, was grappling with juvenile crime.A new program known as Functional Family Therapy reduced recidivism among those juveniles by 22 percent and cost the state about $3,200 for every juvenile served. 

As America’s baby boomers continue to age, the justice system is having to change to meet the needs of a very different kind of prisoner. “We are in fact moving toward a geriatric justice system, whether we want to formally call it that or not,” said Ronald Aday, a professor of sociology and anthropology at Tennessee State University who studies gerontology and prisons. He was one of the featured speakers for a recent CSG South webinar “Aging Inmates: The Continual ‘Graying’ of America’s Prisons.”

According to a recent Stateline article, while the health benefits of state cigarette taxes are “undeniable,” the impact on state revenues is less clear cut. A main contributor to this murkiness is the fact that smugglers (both dedicated and casual) are taking advantage of differing state tax rates on cigarettes. Because the tax differential can be quite wide between various states, smugglers are able to buy cigarettes at a cheaper rate in a low tax state, drive to a high tax state and sell it at below “market value” and pocket a profit. Charles Mulham, an ATF agent and New York public information officer, told Stateline that "in the past few years, as taxes have gone up, you do notice it (the increase in smuggling)”.

Stateline Midwest ~ May 2013

Medical marijuana is now legal in 18 states and the District of Columbia. Only one of those states — Michigan — is in the Midwest, though several bills were introduced in the region this year (see map) to legalize medical marijuana, which is used to relieve severe pain, control nausea and stimulate appetites.

Stateline Midwest ~ April 2013

Under a first-of-its-kind measure signed into law in March, local school districts in South Dakota will have the authority to allow armed personnel in their school buildings. HB 1087 will take effect in July. It opens the possibility of school employees, hired security personnel or volunteers carrying a weapon on school grounds.

Stateline Midwest ~ April 2013

Kansas lawmakers have removed the statute of limitations for prosecuting cases of rape and aggravated criminal sodomy. Rape cases previously had to be prosecuted within five years, The Kansas City Star reports.