NCSL - National Conference of State Legislatures
10/31/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/01/2024 05:04
First Appearance | October 2024
First Appearance | October 2024
October 31, 2024
Indigent Defense in Rural Areas
Rural areas struggle to attract attorneys for indigent defense services. State legislative approaches to promoting indigent defense services are focused on creating housing infrastructure and loan-repayment programs for attorneys who agree to work in rural areas.
Read about indigent defense services.
Related: The Right to Counsel: When Does an Attorney Appear in the Courtroom?
Justice-Involved Veterans: Honoring Service and Advancing Public Safety
Military veterans have sacrificed to protect us, and state legislatures are responding by taking steps to ensure veterans are not forgotten in the criminal justice system. Veterans are increasingly receiving interventions that can help them resume their responsibilities to their families, their communities and their country.
Read about alternatives for veterans.
Related: NCSL Legislative Primer: Diversion and Deflection
Training, Tactics Evolve as Police Adapt to New Use-of-Force Rules
Most states have enacted legislation addressing use of force in the last five years. Washington state training officers recently shared their experiences adapting training and policy to the new laws at NCSL's Legislative Summit.
Learn about changing police training standards.
Related: Use of Force Standards Database
State Courts Impact Lives Every Day
A new report from The Pew Charitable Trusts, "State Courts Play a Key Role in American Life," explores the volume of cases managed by state and local courts and the range of the matters they handle. Traffic cases, mostly noncriminal infractions, accounted for 57% of all state and local filings. Public safety matters accounted for 1 in 6 state court cases.
Learn about state court cases.
Transforming Reentry: A Human-Centric Approach
At the heart of every policy change, every system overhaul and every reform initiative are the lives of real people. There are the individuals who drive the systemic change forward and the individuals whose lives are fundamentally altered by its implementation.
Read about how reentry affects individuals.
Related: NCSL Criminal Records and Reentry Toolkit