By Leah Pope A report released today from the Pew Charitable Trusts sheds new light on what has long been true but is often overlooked: local jails play a vital role in our nation’s health care safety net, working often as the default response to people with mental health and substance use disorders. Individuals passing…

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Why Does Our Justice System Fight So Hard to Keep Innocent People Behind Bars? Mark Godsey was a “prosecutor’s prosecutor” who didn’t think there were any innocent people in prison. Then he began supervising his law school’s Innocence Project, and realized his assumptions were all wrong.   By Joshua Holland    

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GOVERNOR’S PROPOSALS Governor’s full budget presentation (online video) – available here Governor’s full FY 2019 Executive Budget Briefing Book and executive budget legislation Criminal Justice Reform Package: Check out this link to the Article VII bill that includes the criminal justice reform package, including bail, speedy trial, and discovery legislative language (bail on pages 19-52, speedy trial on pages 8-18,…

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Dutchess County District Attorney William Grady considers recent policy shifts moving away from requesting monetary bail in misdemeanor and violations cases to be “somewhat misguided.” By Jason Grant  | January 11, 2018 at 06:19 PM  

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Veterans behind bars: US jails set aside special cell blocks By MICHAEL HILL 1/11/18 ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The military veterans playing cards in the Albany County jail wear the same orange uniforms as everyone else, with “INMATE” printed down the legs. But their service offers one distinct privilege: a special cellblock where they can…

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