From @amandavhernan.bsky.social: Families of Black homicide victims in the United States are more likely than any other group to seek financial assistance through state victim compensation programs — and they are the most likely to be denied, according to a new study. stateline.org/2025/11/12/b...

A provision significantly limiting the sale of intoxicating hemp products made its way into legislation to reopen the federal government just a day before the Senate approved the bill. Its inclusion follows years of pressure from states and the marijuana industry. stateline.org/2025/11/12/c...

From Amanda Watford: The Federal Communications Commission voted to roll back limits on how much companies can charge incarcerated people and their families for phone and video calls. https://stateline.org/2025/11/11/fcc-allows-prisons-jails-to-charge-more-for-phone-and-video-calls/

From Amanda Hernández: States are moving in sharply different directions on the death penalty, with some looking to broaden when and how executions occur while others try to scale them back. https://stateline.org/2025/11/06/states-death-penalty-policies-are-heading-in-sharply-different-directions/

THREAD 🧵 On Nov. 7, we’re launching Stories From The States, a new weekly podcast designed to help you make sense of the dizzying swirl of news happening in our country.

This year, at least four states have considered legislation aimed at expanding penalties for exhibition driving and street takeovers, Amanda Hernández reports. https://stateline.org/2025/10/08/illegal-street-takeovers-with-stunts-and-noise-are-growing-as-states-try-to-crack-down/

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice is expected to release the list of states and localities that may lose federal funding under Trump’s executive orders on cashless bail. But what does “cashless bail” actually mean? I break it down in my latest for @stateline.org: stateline.org/2025/09/23/c...

When President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening to withhold funding from places with “cashless bail” policies, he escalated a national fight over how courts decide who should remain behind bars before trial. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2025/09/23/c...

Police agencies nationwide are lowering education requirements to address staffing shortages. The NYPD and the Dallas Police Department changed their standards this year, joining a national trend that now also includes the FBI and ICE. From @amandavhernan.bsky.social: stateline.org/2025/09/03/p...

Summer heat is bearing down on U.S. prisons, where temperatures in uncooled cells can climb into the triple digits. Some state prison systems are adding air conditioning, but many facilities remain years away from upgrades. Read more in my latest for @stateline.org. stateline.org/2025/08/20/e...

States have regulated kratom for years, and now the feds want in. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is pushing to ban 7-OH, a powerful compound found in some kratom products. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2025/08/11/k...

From @amandavhernan.bsky.social: New York began offering free phone calls to people incarcerated in its state prisons, becoming the sixth state to do so. stateline.org/2025/08/01/n...

U.S. families lose nearly $350 billion each year due to the incarceration of a loved one in jail or prison, according to a recent report from a criminal justice advocacy group. The latest from @amandavhernan.bsky.social: stateline.org/2025/08/04/u...

Police officers may face hundreds of traumatic incidents over the course of their careers, but many still hesitate to seek mental health support when they need it. From @amandavhernan.bsky.social: stateline.org/2025/07/28/s...

Delays in forensic testing are stalling prosecutions, stretching court calendars and forcing impossible choices. Now, state and local crime labs may face steep federal funding cuts that could further delay justice for victims. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2025/07/21/f...

Stand-your-ground laws, which are in effect in more than half of U.S. states, are associated with higher homicide rates, increased racial disparities in legal outcomes and broader public costs, according to a new report. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2025/07/21/s...

@stateline.org is looking to improve how we serve you with state policy news. Got a few minutes? We’d love your input in this short audience survey: forms.gle/QCzktYPFxdPd...

So many people are jailed for low-level crimes. Stateline's @amandavhernan.bsky.social wrote about the holistic defense approach that gives people something the traditional system often doesn’t: A path forward. stateline.org/2025/06/10/h...

A quiet change in public defense is giving people something the traditional system often doesn't: a path forward, @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports. stateline.org/2025/06/10/h...

Via @amandavhernan.bsky.social and @stateline.org: The study found those who received cash payments were significantly less likely to violate parole than those who did not. In the first six months after release, parole violations fell by more than 41%, with violent parole violations dropping by 64%.

When Karina Lariz left a California prison in 2021, she had no savings, no job and no home. A nearly $2,500 reentry stimulus helped her rebuild — and new research shows it could help others avoid reincarceration. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2025/05/14/c...

While states across the country are strengthening anti-trafficking laws and support for survivors, federal funding cuts could threaten efforts to support victims. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2025/05/06/s...

More states are enacting bans on “Glock switches,” small devices about the size of a U.S. quarter that can turn semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of firing up to 1,200 rounds per minute. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2025/04/23/s...

Private immigration detention is growing fast — again. The Trump administration is rapidly expanding immigration detention through billion-dollar contracts with private companies. Read more in my latest for @stateline.org. stateline.org/2025/04/11/f...

Thousands of people are suing Maryland over sexual abuse they say they suffered in the state’s juvenile detention centers, but lawmakers are considering limits on how much they can recover in court. Read more in my latest for @stateline.org. stateline.org/2025/03/19/t...

As safety concerns over the Sig Sauer P320 handgun continue to mount, a growing number of police departments across the United States are rethinking their use of the popular semiautomatic firearm. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2025/03/10/m...

Even as President Donald Trump and other national Republican leaders push to expand the use of capital punishment, some GOP-led states are moving in the opposite direction. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2025/03/07/t...

As governors and state legislatures shape their corrections budgets for the current and upcoming fiscal years, many are struggling to balance major investments in public safety with rising costs and slowing revenues. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2025/02/13/s...

Homicides in the U.S. dropped 16% in 2024, continuing the downward trend from the pandemic-era spike. Crime is expected to be a major focus of the Trump administration, with state legislatures prioritizing criminal justice measures, @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports. stateline.org/2025/01/28/m...

Prisons and jails across the U.S. are overcrowded and understaffed, jeopardizing the safety of incarcerated people, correctional officers and their communities. This year, state lawmakers are focusing on one key issue: more oversight. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2025/01/13/p...

Shoplifting rates in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York remain above pre-pandemic levels. But FBI data shows conflicting trends, making it difficult to pinpoint what’s driving the spike. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports: stateline.org/2024/12/19/n...

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Keep tabs on what state lawmakers are up to! Follow my reporter colleagues at Stateline. We are nonprofit, always free, and we connect the dots on state trends in health, justice, education, environment, labor, housing & more. go.bsky.app/8vjn8q5