Vera Institute of Justice

Overview

Since 2009, more than 30 states have reformed existing drug laws and sentencing practices, passing nearly 50 bills in one or a combination of the following five areas: 1) mandatory penalties, 2) drug sentencing schemes, 3) early release mechanisms, 4) community-based sanctions, and 5) collateral consequences. In this report, Vera’s Center on Sentencing and Corrections summarizes each state-level legislative change.