Marijuana Reclass, Bureaucracy Slows Prison Ed Expansion & More
"The proposal... would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs."
A leak from multiple sources inside the DEA this week, confirmed that the agency is poised to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. The move marks a historic shift in U.S. drug policy, even as some advocates have pointed out that more could be done.
“Whenever we are creating separate systems for individuals — particularly when they’re incarcerated — that reinforce processes, isolation and marginalization, it is not going to go well.”
Last summer's reinstatement of federal Pell Grants for incarcerated students sparked a nationwide scramble among states and colleges to increase access to education behind bars, but progress has been slow. With the potential to impact over 750,000 incarcerated individuals, stakeholders and advocates have increasingly turned their attention to the importance of streamlining bureaucratic processes and addressing tight budgets that have resulted in just one successful new program since the policy change took effect.
“We don’t need to maintain a punishment to sentence a child to die in prison.”
The release of Warren Harris, a juvenile lifer who served 47 years for a 1977 triple murder, marks a milestone in Louisiana's evolving approach to juvenile justice. Harris, among roughly 121 juvenile lifers released since a 2017 law made them eligible after 25 years, underscores the impact of recent Supreme Court decisions on reevaluating harsh sentences for youth offenders. His case highlights a broader national trend toward rehabilitation over retribution, challenging the practice of sentencing children to life without parole.
“This provides the mechanism for the Department of Corrections to allow those juveniles out under certain circumstances, to begin to reintegrate into society, get used to being around other people.”
Kansas legislators have pushed through measures that improve the state's criminal justice system this week, including a bill that grants teenagers in state custody access to educational and vocational programs and another which enacts a Good Samaritan law. The latter will encourage people to report overdose incidents in progress without fear of prosecution if they are also engaged in illegal activity at the time of the report.
“This important change from SBA will break down barriers to financing for millions of aspiring entrepreneurs...”
A new Small Business Administration rule is removing barriers to SBA-backed loans for returning citizens who want to pursue entrepreneurial dreams. Led by SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, the approved rule eliminates questions about criminal history on SBA applications. The overhaul aims to foster equity, reduce recidivism, and unleash economic potential for returning citizens who have previously been sidelined from small business ownership. Studies show entrepreneurship can cut recidivism rates by up to 30%.