NCJ Number
129517
Date Published
1991
Length
116 pages
Annotation
This report by the National Conference of State Legislatures presents findings from a survey of legislatures in 49 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia in September 1990 to identify priority issues for the 1991 sessions; the survey covered approximately 1,000 issues in 18 topic areas including law enforcement and criminal justice.
Abstract
Legislative agendas in 1991 will be dominated in most States by basic budget management problems, because their economies are slowing, State revenues and reserves are falling, and unemployment is rising. This concern with rising costs and budget constraints was found in a variety of areas including education, criminal justice, and the health and social services areas. The four top priority issues in the area of law enforcement and criminal justice are drug control strategies, sentencing and sentencing options, prison construction, and prison release mechanisms. Drug control strategies in 1991 likely will continue the policy mood of 1990 in which at least 26 States enhanced penalties for drug trafficking and approximately 12 States enacted or altered forfeiture provisions. Issues in sentencing and sentencing options include the evaluation of sentencing restructuring, the assessment of intermediate sanctions, and community corrections. Because States are sending more people to prison and keeping them there longer, no moratorium on prison construction is in sight, although the rate of prison expansion may decrease. Because of prison overcrowding, there is renewed attention to parole and discretionary release provisions. A chart lists the priority issues for each State for each of the 18 topic areas. Appended list of State coordinators and a sample survey questionnaire