Links of Interest: September 24-28, 2012
Judicial Performance and Elections
- The National Center on State Courts e-courts project reports that Florida’s paperless electronic filing system is “is saving money, making the judicial process more efficient and gaining international interest.”
Criminal Justice
- The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority has released a report on juvenile recidivism.
The Sun-Times ran an editorial Thursday, praising Governor Quinn for closing prisons to save costs and divert the money to Child and Family Services. The Hill Congressional Blog asks what would happen if we reallocated prison spending to education.
- Continuing their series on inequities in the bond system in the U.S., the Justice Policy Institute reports that “currently only Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon and Wisconsin prohibit commercial bail bondsmen.” This blog post details problems with for-profit bail bondsmen.
This four-year old–but still interesting–series in the New York Times notes that only the U.S. and the Philippines allow commercial bail bondsmen in their justice systems. The Department of Justice Study referenced in the New York Times is now available here (.pdf download).
Community Justice
- 99% Invisible has a quick podcast on how bank interior design can make the institution seem intimidating, while check cashing places seem inviting or familiar.
The Shriver Brief this week looked back at the Post Office Savings System which served people without banks and WBEZ’s Morning Shift hosted a conversation about community banks.
Other Links
- Northwestern University School of Law is hosting the 2012 National Symposium on the American Jury System on October 4 & 5. The theme is “the optimal jury trial” and offers panels composed of state and federal judges, legal scholars, and jurors from high profile cases. The panels will discuss proposed reforms to the jury trial system, including allowing the attorneys and judges to make additional addresses to the juries and the order of presentation of expert witnesses.
- We’re hiring a Communications Intern: details here.