Study: 1 in 31 U.S. Adults in Prison System
from The Associated Press via MSNBC
The number of offenders on parole and probation across the United States has surged past 5 million, complicating the challenges for fiscally ailing states as they try to curb corrections costs without jeopardizing public safety, according to a new report. The Pew Center on the States report says the number of people on probation or parole nearly doubled to more than 5 million between 1982 and 2007. More

Video: NSA Names Nation's Top Sheriff
from MyFOX Memphis
Shelby County, Tenn.'s, top lawman got a nod from his peers as the best in the nation. The National Sheriffs’ Association chose Sheriff Mark Luttrell as Sheriff of the Year for 2009. NSA chose Luttrell, among other reasons, for his success at getting the men's and women's jails and the medical facilities accredited nationally. The award will be given out in June in Florida. More

The Recession and State Law Enforcement
from the Logan Banner
The high cost of pursuing a death-penalty case is hard to justify in today’s economic situation. The author cites statistics from a Maryland study concerning the cost of a death-penalty trial, along with statistics pointing out the layoffs faced by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. More

Hopes Rise on Gritty South Side of Los Angeles
from The Associated Press via the Chicago Tribune
Violence has long been part of life in this city on the gritty south side of Los Angeles. In the birthplace of gangsta rap, nightfall once brought gunfire, and wearing the wrong color could get you killed. But thanks to L.A. County Sheriff's gang crackdown and community policing efforts, the murder rate has now been slashed by more than half — from 65 killings in 2005 to 28 in 2008, the lowest since 1985. More

New Technology Promises Speedier Border Crossing
from The Associated Press via MSNBC
New technology at the nation's busiest border crossing can read chip-enabled travel documents up to 30 feet from an inspection booth, promising shorter waits but raising concerns about targeting by computer hackers. San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing is a key test for the devices, known as radio frequency identification readers, because the facility is used by about 150,000 people daily. More

Stimulus Funds New Law Enforcement Officers
from USA Today
The Obama administration is reviving a controversial Clinton-era police hiring program, and the lack of restrictions on the money has critics warning of wasteful spending. The stimulus package loosens the old rules for the program by dropping a provision that required police agencies to pay millions in local dollars to tap federal hiring grants. It gives police agencies nearly unfettered access to $1 billion over three years for hiring up to 6,000 officers as many departments face cuts. More

15 Broward County, Fla., Deputies Taken off Patrol during Steroids Inquiry
from the Palm Beach Post
Fifteen Broward County, Fla., Sheriff's deputies have been pulled off the street because of suspicion they used steroids, but they may not need to give up their old jobs for long, Agency policy allows deputies to take steroids and similar muscle-building drugs if they are prescribed by a licensed physician. That could protect the deputies no matter what their drug test results show, an agency spokesman said. More

Missouri Bill Would Make Lack of Seat Belt Cause for Traffic Stop
from the Southeast Missourian
Under current Missouri law, Section 307.178 to be specific, failure to wear a seat belt will cost the offender $10 — unless there are more people in the vehicle than there are seat belts, for which there is no penalty. But police can only issue the ticket if the car is pulled over for another reason. House Bill 665, introduced by Rep. Bill Deeken (R-Jefferson City), would make lack of seat belts a valid cause for a police stop. More

More Offenders Blowing off Jail Time
from the Mansfield News Journal
If you had just been sentenced for a crime but the jailers told you to come back later to do your time because they had no room for you, would you? For about a third of the people who were given that order in Hamilton County, Ohio, the answer was no. Because of budget cuts there will be no concentrated effort made to find the missing 20. They will face no extra punishment for not checking in. In fact, even the two-thirds who showed up for their sentences were turned away – because there was no room at Hamilton County’s jails. All are non-violent offenders – convicted of crimes such as drunk driving, drug possession, or prostitution. More

Court Upholds Gun Restrictions for Abusers
from The Hill
In its first major ruling on gun rights following a sweeping decision that largely defined the Second Amendment, the Supreme Court on Tuesday offered a hopeful sign to gun control advocates by upholding a ban on some gun ownership rights. The seven to two majority opinion, authored by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, upheld a 1996 amendment that prevents those convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse from owing firearms. More

Texas Valley Residents Continue to Cross Border Despite Mexico Warning
from Action 4 News
Despite repeated warnings of violence across the border the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville, Texas, has a steady flow of traffic. Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio says that he has been paying close attention to recent violence south of the border, which prompted him to shut down the Gateway International Bridge recently. More

March Crackdown on Dangerous Driving
from WHIO-TV
Authorities in Indiana are going to be cracking down on bad drivers during Operation Pull Over Blitz 58. The Governor's Council on Impaired and Dangerous Driving and the Indiana Justice Institute announced a March crackdown on impaired and aggressive driving that will coincide with Indiana basketball events. More