PLI Bulletin

Juvenile Justice, Progressive Cities, Ballot Initiatives and More

Posted on November 6, 2018

Juvenile Justice Reform Act: This model bill combines three reforms. First, it restricts the use of pretrial confinement to young offenders who actually pose a danger to society or where there is a realistic chance they may flee from justice. Second, it allows judges to transfer defendants from juvenile to adult courts only upon consideration of specific, limited criteria. Third, it protects accused children by ensuring that they do not waive their constitutional right to counsel.

Cities can and must lead progressive policy: Today, more than 62 percent of Americans live in cities and towns, although those jurisdictions govern only about 3.5 percent of our nation’s land. Similarly, America’s economic power is concentrated there. The top 100 metro areas alone account for at least three-fourths of our nation’s GDP. For what to do with this power, read the latest IdeaLog, our blog intended to raise eyebrows and engage minds.

Voicing Our Values—How to Talk About Public Safety: This is the tenth segment of our podcast series, which you can listen to at your convenience. It explains messages and narratives you should use when you’re talking about issues of criminal justice and public safety. To listen to or download the podcast, click here.

Housing Voucher Non-Discrimination Laws Work: The federal housing voucher program is the nation’s largest rental housing program, serving over 2.2 million households. However, the program only works if private landlords accept the subsidies. Some states and localities have enacted laws to prohibit landlords from discriminating against families that wish to use housing vouchers. This report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows non-discrimination laws are a success.

Results of major ballot initiatives: In the recent election, voters in 37 states decided 155 statewide ballot measures. Results are available here.

Voicing Our Values: PLI’s Voicing Our Values: A message guide for policymakers and advocates is available in HTML text, a downloadable PDF, as a book on Amazon, and as a series of podcasts.