Dear New School Friends,

Health, the environment and justice have been keystones for Commonweal’s work for 43 years. Services for at-risk children was the first program at Commonweal. David Steinhart has led the Commonweal Juvenile Justice Program for more than two decades. He’s been working at the heart of California juvenile justice reform. I asked David to review the impact of the adult and juvenile justice reform acts that were signed into national law last year. In brief? A major step forward. Here is his analysis.

—Michael

U.S. Congress Passes Major Justice System Reform Bills

On December 21, President Trump placed his signature on two justice system reform bills sent to him by the Congress. The “First Step Act” revamps federal sentencing laws to reduce incarceration rates and to expand re-entry options for federal prisoners. The “Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018” reauthorizes the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA)—the cornerstone federal law that has promoted improvements in state juvenile justice systems since it was first adopted in 1974. Continue reading →