There are 18 article(s) tagged truth in sentencing:

• April 2023

  • Some Memphis leaders say more incarceration is price of safety

    Supporters, critics differ on merits of proposed legislation. 

    By Ian Round, Samuel Hardiman April 05, 2023

• January 2023

  • Opinion: Memphis is not forgotten

    “Don’t give up. Change is happening. Your voice is being heard at the state level — and being heard clearly.”

    By John Gillespie January 08, 2023

• November 2022

  • State Supreme Court: Mandatory life sentences for juveniles ‘cruel and unusual punishment’

    “Not so long ago, it was commonplace for states to require juveniles convicted of homicide to serve sentences of over fifty years. Now, that practice has vanished. ... In the entirety of the nation, Tennessee stands alone.”

     

    By Ian Round November 21, 2022

  • Gov. Bill Lee runs on Ford Megasite, other economic wins in low-key campaign

    Lee’s term in office has been defined by several economic development wins, the main one being Ford Motor Co.’s decision to build an electric SUV plant at the Megasite of West Tennessee. 

    By Ian Round November 02, 2022

• October 2022

  • More prisons an option for Tennessee despite past problems

    Tennessee passed a law similar to “truth in sentencing” in 1979. The law led to overcrowded prisons, rioting and millions in damage to state property. The National Guard was called in. The result was a federal consent decree and sentencing reform. Will history repeat itself?

    By Ian Round October 10, 2022

  • As lawmakers review sentencing policy, victims’ rights advocate says more laws not working

    A victims’ rights advocate told lawmakers that a punishment-first approach to incarceration is not working, and they should replace it with one that addresses the lingering effects of childhood trauma.

    By Ian Round October 06, 2022

  • Lawmakers doubling down on crime in upcoming session

    Many of the proposed bills would increase penalties for rape, kidnapping and other violent crimes and require the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to test rape kits faster.

    By Ian Round October 03, 2022

• September 2022

  • Special legislative committee to study state’s rape kit backlog

    The amount of time needed to process a rape kit at TBI’s West Tennessee crime lab in Jackson ranged from 33 to 49 weeks over the past year. The statewide backlog was up to more than 950 kits awaiting testing as of last month. 

    By Marc Perrusquia, Ben Wheeler September 26, 2022

  • Tucker Carlson blames ‘Bill Lee and guilty liberals like him’ for violent crime in Memphis

    Carlson characterized Lee as soft on crime in a monologue against criminal justice reform, which, he claimed, “means letting violent people out of prison early.”

    By Ian Round September 09, 2022

• June 2022

  • Republican leaders tout ‘Truth in Sentencing’ crime bill

    House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally held a ceremonial signing of the bill at City Hall in Memphis.

    By Bill Dries June 28, 2022

  • State House Speaker says AR-15 ban not the answer to mass shootings

    Cameron Sexton says he sees no reason to ban AR-15 weapons in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, mass shooting. Meanwhile in Washington Thursday, Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen was calling for such a ban.

    By Bill Dries June 02, 2022

• May 2022

  • Opinion: Despite Strickland’s accusations, ‘truth in sentencing’ won’t make Memphis safer

    “This new law is not about ‘truth;’ it is about severity,” writes Just City’s executive director. 

    By Josh Spickler May 17, 2022

  • Strickland calls ‘BS’ on critics of ‘truth in sentencing’ state law

    Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland went after critics of his backing of the state truth in sentencing law and his description of 201 Poplar as a “revolving door” for criminals during a lively interview on “Behind The Headlines.”

    By Bill Dries May 17, 2022

  • ‘Truth in sentencing’ becomes law without governor’s signature

    “My concern with (this bill) is that data does not support the basic premise of the legislation,” Lee wrote in a letter to General Assembly leadership.

    By Ian Round May 10, 2022

• April 2022

  • General Assembly passes ‘truth in sentencing,’ but Lee won’t share his position

    House Speaker Cameron Sexton invoked the names of Memphis rapper Young Dolph and Rhodes College student Drew Rainier, both of whom were shot and killed last year, in a speech arguing against early release for a handful of crimes.

    By Ian Round April 21, 2022

• March 2022

  • Drew Rainer’s father advocates for ‘truth in sentencing,’ but governor’s support in doubt

    A criminal defense lawyer told lawmakers he crafted a law similar to “truth in sentencing” decades ago — and regretted it.

    By Ian Round March 22, 2022

  • Strickland pushes bill to give violent offenders longer sentences

    Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and law enforcement leaders are advocating for a state bill that would eliminate parole for people convicted of specific felony offenses, such as attempted murder.

    By Yolanda Jones March 04, 2022

• November 2021

  • Watch: Weirich pushes for truth in state sentencing laws

    Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich talked on “Behind The Headlines” of her concerns about guidelines judicial commissioners use in determining who should be released while they await trial and the second take on a juvenile assessment center.

    By Bill Dries November 13, 2021