To combat the opioid crisis, the Trump administration is calling for drug dealers to face tougher penalties, including capital punishment in some cases. The U.S. Sentencing Commission is also considering proposals for tougher prison sentences in crimes involving fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is many times more deadly than heroin. “If we don’t get tough […]
As Trump tweets, government acts. Welcome to Meanwhile, our recurring look at what federal agencies are up to and how their work affects people’s lives. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is ramping up the online war on drugs. The Department of Justice last month announced the creation of the Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) team. […]
A poll released Tuesday by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation found widespread public support for rehabilitation efforts in local criminal justice systems — as opposed to an emphasis on prosecution and punishment. It’s just the latest survey to show that Americans are generally in favor of reforms like reducing sentences for nonviolent […]
Sarah Hargrove didn’t expect to be on the front lines of a national emergency after getting a master’s degree in forensic science. But the opioid crisis has put her there. A Chicago native, she moved to Louisville, Kentucky, in 2012 to work as an autopsy technician in the office of the state’s chief medical examiner. […]