Utah could be seeing some serious criminal justice reform this year. With the start of the session, Utah lawmakers have seen 52 law enforcement and criminal justice reform bills. With this many bills filed, it is going to be difficult to cover everything in a single session, but it shows the importance and determination of changing the criminal justice system.
Members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization were protesting on Monday for less government decisions in the reform of policy. They want to see more community involvement and do not trust only politicians to oversee the process. In regards to the 52 reform bills already filed, they believe it is a step in the right direction, but would like community members to have a louder voice.
The process of turning a bill into law is a lengthy endeavor, and with so many bills on the docket this session, not all will be taken into consideration. The docket includes reforms to riot amendments, police oversight, reporting use of force, releasing shooting footage sooner, and many others. While Utah lawmakers may have the answers to some of the present issues, there is the risk of developing new problems or not addressing certain stakeholders. Unified Police Department deputy chief Chris Bertram is confident that enacting more K9 training and allowing new agencies to have access to an officer’s previous disciplinary records are the two issues that have the best chance at becoming law.
With the upcoming legislation containing a long list of bills about criminal justice reform and law enforcement, we’re hopeful that Utah joins other proactive states and takes important steps toward changing the system.
At Easy Expunctions, we know that the cards are stacked against you when it comes to criminal justice. Once you’re in the system, it’s hard to get out, and even harder to escape the stigma of past charges. We might be able to help—reach out to one of our experts to see if our record-cleaning software could work for you.
