Twelve years ago, the state of Missouri began requiring police agencies to collect data on the race of those pulled over and arrested by police. Now a group of people and organizations including the ACLU are demanding lawmakers give the law more teeth and require more than just the submission of data. [Read more…]
Missouri Legislators Pass Crack Cocaine Disparity Bill
It may have taken Missouri two years to follow the federal government’s lead in reducing disparities between crack cocaine and powder cocaine sentences, but lawmakers finally passed the measure this week and it now heads to the governor’s desk, according to the Associated Press. [Read more…]
Sentencing and Parole Changes on the Horizon
Governor Jay Nixon is expected to sign a piece of legislation into law that would focus criminal justice dollars and prison bed space on violent offenders, while community corrections efforts would be pushed for nonviolent offenders. The measure received overwhelming response from both the House and the Senate and was supported by prosecutors and defense attorneys alike. [Read more…]