Drug Decriminalization, Fentanyl, and Fatal Overdoses in Oregon | Law and Medicine | JAMA

At the time of this posting, the article was available “open access.”

This cohort study examines the association of decriminalization of drug possession with fatal drug overdose rates in Oregon while accounting for the rapid
— Read on jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2823254

Exclusive | Migrants flooding NYC’s justice system — making up ‘75% of arrests in Midtown’ — as ‘pathetic’ sanctuary city laws handcuff cops

Migrant crime is taking its toll on NYC’s criminal justice system, forcing precincts and courthouses to contend with a never-ending parade of criminal suspects, which consume a disproportionate share of resources needed to keep New Yorkers safe.
— Read on nypost.com/2024/09/02/us-news/migrants-flooding-nycs-justice-system-making-up-75-of-arrests-in-midtown-as-pathetic-sanctuary-city-laws-handcuff-cops/

“You Have to Move!”: The Cruel and Ineffective Criminalization of Unhoused People in Los Angeles | HRW

The 337-page report, “‘You Have to Move!’ The Cruel and Ineffective Criminalization of Unhoused People in Los Angeles,” documents the experiences of people living on the streets and in vehicles, temporary shelters, and parks in Los Angeles, as they struggle to survive while facing criminalization and governmental failures to prioritize eviction prevention or access to permanent housing. Law enforcement and sanitation “sweeps” force unhoused people out of public view, often wasting resources on temporary shelter and punishments that do not address the underlying needs. Tens of thousands of people are living in the streets of Los Angeles; death rates among the unhoused have skyrocketed.
— Read on www.hrw.org/report/2024/08/14/you-have-move/cruel-and-ineffective-criminalization-unhoused-people-los-angeles

Get the report HERE

2023 Plea Bargain Task Force Report urges fairer, more transparent justice system

CHICAGO (Feb. 22, 2023) – Plea bargaining has become the primary way to resolve criminal cases in the United States, with nearly 98% of convictions nationwide currently coming from guilty pleas. But plea bargaining as currently practiced is often unj
— Read on www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2023/02/plea-bargain-task-force/

Get a .PDF copy of the report HERE

A Decade of Ignorance: Ferguson Inaugurated Ten Years of Lies About Race in America | The Heritage Foundation

This month marks the tenth anniversary of events that changed the trajectory of this country, and not for the better. On August 9, 2014, Darren Wilson fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Riots erupted the next day and continued for months nationwide. Black Lives Matter exploited the mayhem it had helped cause, helping it swell into a malign global force. The activist model pioneered at Ferguson has had a lasting impact on American politics, as this year’s pro-Hamas demonstrations prove.
— Read on www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/decade-ignorance-ferguson-inaugurated-ten-years-lies-about-race-america

YRBS Data Summary & Trends Report | Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) | CDC

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report provides data on health behaviors and experiences of high school students in the United States. Data highlight students’ behaviors and experiences in 2023, changes from 2021 to 2023, and 10-year trends. The report focuses on:

Sexual behavior
Substance use
Experiences of violence
Mental health
Suicidal thoughts and behaviors
Other important issues, like social media use

— Read on www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/