The opioid epidemic is worse than ever as the global COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world. Dr. Allison Muller (Acri Muller Consulting) said that there is a connection between the two as people with substance abuse issues may be trying different substances now or have a resurgence of their disorder. Muller expects to see an … Continued

In the midst of an historic pandemic, the legislature enacted changes in two critical areas of the criminal justice system. It enacted changes to the bail and discovery laws it passed last year and, in addition, it passed an expansive package of police reform bills. At the same time, the New York City Council enacted a series of new laws that will have a significant impact on members of the New York City Police Department.

Holistically, the legislation was intended to eliminate pre-trial detention of persons unable to afford modest bail for offenses that will eventually be resolved in non-incarceratory (e.g., probation, community service, rehabilitation programs or fines) or negligible jail sentences because extended incarceration jeopardizes employment, housing and other life circumstances

“In God we trust,” the great statistician W. Edwards Deming famously quipped. “All others must bring data.” We have a quarter-century of data that shows a sharp decline in the U.S. crime rate between 1993 and 2018: down 51% by the FBI numbers and 71% according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. By these numbers, … Continued