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Unlikely Criminal Justice Reform: How New York City Reduced Arrests and Slashed Prisoner Populations
by Lonnie Burton
In what has been described as a "remarkable reversal of mass incarceration,” a newly-published report by Justice Strategies credited the New York Police Department (NYPD) for a massive decline in drug arrests that contributed to a sharp reduction in the state’s prison population. The study, …
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More from this issue:
- Banks Profit from Loans to Private Prison Industry, by Derek Gilna
- Florida: Trio of Con Artists Sentenced in Rule 35 Sentence Reduction Scam
- Study Finds Extreme Lack of Gender, Racial/Ethnic Diversity in State Courts, by Derek Gilna
- Seventh Circuit Reinstates Indiana Prisoner’s Lawsuit, Holds Prison Officials Prevented Him from Pursuing Grievances, by Lonnie Burton
- Denial of FOIA Request for Complaints Against Immigration Judges Reversed, by Christopher Zoukis
- Fourth Circuit Rules Lawsuit over Inadequate Prison Food Not Barred by Res Judicata, by Lonnie Burton
- Ethics Rule Requiring Post-conviction Disclosure of Exculpatory Evidence Adopted in North Carolina
- Use of Electronic Monitoring Skyrockets, by Christopher Zoukis
- Nebraska Supreme Court Holds Reporter Can’t See Executed Prisoner’s Drawings, by Christopher Zoukis
- Seventh Circuit: Two-month Delay in Ordering Biopsy Not Deliberate Indifference, by Christopher Zoukis
- Tennessee Sheriff Settles Lawsuit over Religious Proselytization
- Unlikely Criminal Justice Reform: How New York City Reduced Arrests and Slashed Prisoner Populations, by Lonnie Burton
- United Kingdom: 80% of Prisoners Aspire to be Entrepreneurs, Opportunity Fund Helps
- Man Smuggles Poison into Jail, Commits Suicide Following Arrest for Failure to Pay Ambulance Bill
- Fourth Circuit Clarifies Rights of Pretrial Detainees; $35,000 Settlement on Remand, by Christopher Zoukis
- Consensual Use of Another Prisoner’s Telephone PIN is Not Oregon ID Theft
- Seventh Circuit: Medical Deliberate Indifference Case Remanded, Loses at Trial, by Christopher Zoukis
- Dismissal of Personal Injury Claim for Damages from Malfunctioning Jail Gate Upheld
- Private Prison Firms Spend Billions of Taxpayer Dollars Acquiring Other Companies, by Christopher Zoukis
- Ohio Prisoners Build Computers from Spare Parts, Conceal them in Ceiling
- Illinois: Prison Guards Sued for Fatally Beating, Suffocating Prisoner, by Lonnie Burton
- Fourth Circuit Reverses Judgment in Favor of BOP in Deliberate Indifference Case, by Christopher Zoukis
- Tennessee Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Sexual Misconduct, Excessive Force Charges
- Alaska Prisoner Deaths Criticized in Report, Author Becomes New DOC Commissioner
- Report: “Culture of Racism,” Frequent Use of Force at Northern California Prison, by Lonnie Burton
- New York: Police Department Ordered to Produce Police Manual in Parolee Shooting Case, by Christopher Zoukis
- California Court Vacates Prison Infraction Charging Prisoner for Refusing Meals, by Lonnie Burton
- Disability Rights Group Slams Mental Health Program at New York State Prison, by Derek Gilna
- Nevada DOC Moves to End Discrimination against HIV-positive and Disabled Prisoners, by Matthew Clarke
- California Lifers with Possibility of Parole Entitled to SOL Tolling
- Policing for Profit: Law Enforcement Agencies Abuse Civil Asset Forfeiture, by Matthew Clarke
- South Carolina Appellate Court Upholds Prisoner’s Wage Suit, by Derek Gilna
- Widespread Abuses at Santa Clara County Jail; Three Guards Convicted of Murder, by Lonnie Burton
- Illinois Prisoner Fatally Shot after Standoff; Hostages File Lawsuit
- $6,500 Settlement after Ninth Circuit Reverses Summary Judgment in Retaliatory Ad-seg Case, by Lonnie Burton
- Incarceration Numbers Falling, Especially for Blacks, by Christopher Zoukis
- Ninth Circuit Reverses Revocation of Supervised Release Over Blog Post, by Christopher Zoukis
- Ninth Circuit: Warden Who Failed to Protect Female Prisoners from Sexual Assault Not Immune from Suit, by Christopher Zoukis
- Seventh Circuit Reverses Infraction for Failure to Allow Prisoner to Present Evidence, by Lonnie Burton
- California Appellate Court Reinstates Prisoner’s Mandamus Action Against CDCR, by Derek Gilna
- First Circuit Allows City to Include Prisoners in Census Counts, by Derek Gilna
- Eighth Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity on Inadequate Nutrition Claim
- PLN Obtains $50,000 Settlement in Tennessee Jail Censorship Suit
- Texas Prisoner was Emaciated and Sick when Killed by Cellmate
- Supreme Court Lets Prosecutors Off the Hook for Withholding Evidence, by Derek Gilna
- Arkansas Prisoner’s Illegal Sentence Remanded Despite Filing Wrong Challenge
- Suicide at Texas Jail Results in Firings, Lawsuit, Investigation and Legislation, by Matthew Clarke
- Tenth Circuit Remands Two-year Sentence for Federal Probation Violation, by Christopher Zoukis
- Washington State Mental Health Agency Held in Contempt; $14 Million in Fines Levied, by Derek Gilna
- One of Tennessee’s Most Pristine Rivers Contaminated with Prison Sewage, by Panagioti Tsolkas
- Forced to Endure Extreme Heat, Prisoners are Casualties of Texas’ Climate Denial, Documents Show, by Candice Bernd
- Ohio Closes Prison Farms, Auctions Equipment, Plans to Sell Farmland, by Matthew Clarke
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Breaking News: U.S. Attorney General Reinstates Federal Asset Forfeiture Sharing, with Conditions, by Derek Gilna
- News in Brief
More from Lonnie Burton:
- Ninth Circuit: Washington Civil Rights Suit Not Tolled by State Presentment Statute, Jan. 31, 2018
- California Agency Addresses In-person Visits at Jails after Governor Vetoes Bill, Jan. 8, 2018
- New York Times Reveals Racial Bias Rampant in Upstate New York Prisons, Jan. 8, 2018
- Report Slams Takeover of Washington DOC Food Services by Correctional Industries, Jan. 8, 2018
- Solitary to the Streets: Studies Find Such Releases Result in Higher Recidivism Rates, Violent Behavior, Jan. 8, 2018
- $4,000 for Injuries After Prison Staff Ignore Bottom Bunk Directive, Jan. 3, 2018
- $5,000 to Transgender Prisoner in Maryland Sexual Harassment Lawsuit, Jan. 3, 2018
- $4,000 Awarded to Subject of Esquire Article, Jan. 3, 2018
- $5.75 Million Payout in Death of Rikers' Prisoner Denied Medical, Jan. 3, 2018
- South Carolina S.C. Refuses to Order Defendant Maimed from Jail to Psych Hospital, Jan. 3, 2018
More from these topics:
- Prison Policy Initiative Report Finds Significant Health Outcomes from Past Incarceration, Oct. 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, Collateral consequences of prison, Health care.
- Virginia Report Finds Deaths Increasing as Prison Population Ages, Oct. 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, De Facto Life Sentence.
- California Supreme Court Bail Ruling Cuts Some Jail Headcounts, Oct. 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, State Legislation, Bail/Pretrial Release, Reduction of Prison Population.
- It’s Gotten Harder for Illinois Prisoners to Get Into College Classes, Oct. 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, Education.
- Mental Health Diversion from New York State Jails Varies Widely by County, Sept. 1, 2026. Criminal justice system reform, Alternative Sentencing, Mental Health, State Legislation.
- Rising Deaths in Los Angeles County Jail Linked to Longer Stays, Sept. 1, 2026. Systemic Medical Neglect, Drug Overdose, Statistics/Trends, Suicides, Reduction of Prison Population.
- What 911 Calls Reveal About Jail Operations, Sept. 1, 2026. Systemic Medical Neglect, Statistics/Trends, Failure to Protect (General), Staffing, Staff Training.
- California Grand Jury Report on Deaths at Riverside County Jails, Sept. 1, 2026. Jail Misconduct, Corrections Audits, Prison Reform, Statistics/Trends, Public Records.
- Court-Ordered Report on Jail Voting in Massachusetts Finds Low-Rate, Sept. 1, 2026. Elections, Advocacy, Statistics/Trends, Public Records, Voting Rights.
- Michigan DOC Legal Payouts Top $7 Million in FY 2025, Less than One Percent of $2.15 Billion Operating Budget, Sept. 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, Cost of Prison Systems, Damages, Settlements.

