Jail space is a limited and expensive resource, and while the Sheriff is responsible for managing the detention facility, overall jail usage is dictated by decisions largely outside his control. This Report is premised on the assumption that Jail planning requires an understanding of the system in which it operates. Available beds in any correctional facility tend to become filled - regardless the number added. ‘Build it and they will come.’ The only way to manage limited, and expensive, jail capacity is to understand the system policies and practices that are driving it.

This report documents changes in state restoration laws in 2017, many of which are quite significant. It is based on research from the Restoration of Rights Project (RRP), an online resource maintained by the CCRC that catalogs and analyzes the restoration laws of all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the federal system. Following an overview of 2017 reforms, specific changes to the law in each state are briefly described along with relevant citations.

SANTA FE - A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging reforms to New Mexico’s system of pretrial release and detention of criminal defendants.

“The federal court ruling recognizes the lawfulness of New Mexico's bail reform efforts to better protect public safety and improve the fairness of the state’s pretrial justice system,” Artie Pepin, director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, said.

Walter, Rebecca J., Jill Viglione, and Marie Skubak Tillyer. Housing Policy Debate 27, no. 5 (2017): 1-17.

Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) (Boston, MA)

This toolkit is intended to provide information and guidance to those planning and implementing a reentry program for individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental disorders reentering from jail or prison.

The table that follows lists state statutes that provide for Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD). VOD is a victim-centered, offender-sensitive facilitated preparation and dialogue process typically involving a victim, his/her/their offender and a trained volunteer mediator. The table surveys the states’ laws to determine which explicitely provide for confidentiality in the statements made during VOD.

This report catalogues and analyzes the various provisions for relief from the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction that are now operating in each of the 50 states. Its goal is to facilitate a national conversation about how people who have been convicted of a crime may best regain their legal rights and social status

This paper published in Housing Policy Debate by Rebecca J. Walter, Jill Viglione and Marie Skubak Tillyer, One Strike to Second Chances: Using Criminal Backgrounds in Admission Decisions for Assisted Housing, reviews existing research on recidivism to provide fact-based information to housing providers on their use of criminal records in assisted housing admission decisions

A component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, BJA's mission is to provide leadership and services in grant administration and criminal justice policy development to support local, state, and tribal justice strategies to achieve safer communities.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.