Criminal Justice Reform

The 2024 West Virginia Legislative Session in Numbers It is the end of the 2024 West Virginia Legislative Session. As the action in Charleston has wrapped up, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what has transpired. Certainly, there were fireworks and heated debates along the way. Interestingly… Read More

Nearly A Decade of Change in West Virginia It boggles the mind what’s happened to West Virginia since 2014. There is no doubt since Republicans became West Virginia’s legislative majority in 2014 that the state’s policy landscape has changed. The average West Virginian in 2013 would scarcely believe… Read More

What are Collateral Consequences of Criminal Conviction? If you’re a typical American, you probably don’t use terms like “collateral” in your everyday life—I know I sure don’t. If you do run across the term, it’s most likely in one of two situations: collateral on a loan or collateral… Read More

Parenting Teaches Us a Lot About Life As a new parent, learning to appropriately discipline a little person has caused me to reflect on concepts of rational choice, justice, and equal opportunity. Parents discover that the consequences meted out to a child should be as natural and logical as possibl… Read More

In the United States, civil asset forfeiture is a legal process through which law enforcement officers may seize assets from individuals that they suspect of committing a crime. The key here is “suspect” of committing a crime. There is no requirement for the person whose assets were seized… Read More

So Long, Farewell Nostalgia. Gratitude. And a tinge of bittersweet sorrow. It is the only way to describe the complex storm of emotions I currently hold onto. At the end of the month, I will bid farewell to the organization that has been my home, my sanctuary, and source of… Read More

Seizing Freedom On February 19, Nevada police pulled over Stephen Lara. Lara consented to a search of his vehicle, where police discovered almost $90,000 of cash in a backpack. “I don’t trust banks, so I keep my own money,” he said. “I have nothing to hide from you.” Police… Read More

Summer sucked.   The weather wasn’t great, but it’s not the traditional summer complaints of heat and sunburn that I’m referring to. My summer sucked because my fiancé was confined to a mere 8×10 foot room for over 350 hours this summer.   Two simple words can explain this desolate… Read More

The Opioid Crisis in West Virginia By now everyone has heard the horrible news on the opioid crisis. Thousands of Mountaineers are addicted, billions of dollars have been wasted, and deaths are stacking up every day. What you may not have heard of is the treatment policies that are… Read More

West Virginia Needs More Addiction Treatment Services The principle of supply and demand has been with us since Adam Smith. This principle is at the core of West Virginia’s decades long drug problem. … Read More