Huffington Post: Change has come to the criminal justice system in America’s most populous state. California’s arrest rate last year dropped to its lowest level ever recorded, the result of a voter-approved initiative to reclassify several nonviolent felonies as misdemeanors.

Governing: As policymakers in state capitols and on Capitol Hill debate criminal justice reform, it’s worth considering who crime victims are and their views on laws meant to punish those who do them harm. A pair of national surveys sheds some light on the issue. The Justice GOVERNING: Department’s annual National Crime Victimization Survey reports detailed data on various types of crimes and their victims. Another recent survey, commissioned by the Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ), provides…

Washington Examiner: Often, when criminal justice reformers advocate rehabilitation and treatment programs over more prison time for certain offenders, the response goes something like this: “Think of the victims. If you or your child or someone you love had been hurt, you’d want the criminal to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, wouldn’t you?”