criminal justice

Monday evening, December 2, 2019

Convicted murderer Ron Lafferty died Monday after spending 34 years on Utah's Death Row. In 1984, he ordered the killing of his sister-in-law Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month-old daughter, Erica. The case was the subject of the book “Under the Banner of Heaven.” Author Jon Krakauer joined KUER's Caroline Ballard to reflect on Lafferty's death.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert says he might sign a bill to repeal the death penalty if it passes the legislature-a huge pivot for Herbert, who previously supported capital punishment.

Valerie Young, a schoolteacher in West Valley City tearfully recalls the day she found out the boys who she believes killed her 16-year-old brother Craig in 1978 would not face charges.

The San Juan County Sheriff and two of his deputies will remain on the job for now. All three were charged Friday with criminal misconduct and obstructing an investigation.

A bill to reform Utah’s Juvenile Justice system is marching forward in the Utah Legislature after hitting a few roadblocks in the House.  

Two years after Utah’s criminal justice system overhaul, a state lawmaker is pushing for major reforms at the juvenile level.

The Utah House of Representatives approved a bill Tuesday that would ban cities from rewarding landlords who refuse to rent to people newly released from prison or jail.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is one of a handful of legislators backing a sweeping criminal justice reform bill in Congress. But with a new administration comes concerns over the bill’s future, which Lee and others would still like to see passed.

A survey by the nonprofit Utah Foundation found that most voters in the state are highly concerned about crime. Shawn Tiegen is a researcher with the Utah Foundation. He says half of respondents said they were more concerned about crime now than they were 5 years ago.

Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams joined President Obama’s senior advisor on a media call Thursday to unveil the White House’ new initiative aimed at disrupting the cycle of incarceration.

Salt Lake County officials rolled up their sleeves and got specific this week about how to implement criminal justice reforms. 

Women leaving the Salt Lake County jail with a mental illness or substance abuse disorder will have a new place to go for treatment. The county opened a residential facility Monday designed to help female offenders transition back into the community.

A new report recognizes Salt Lake County for its efforts in criminal justice reform, but researchers found weaknesses in how it handles offenders with behavioral health disorders.

The commission tasked with finding a new location for the state prison has pushed back its deadline for to October 1st. The Prison Relocation Commission met Thursday morning at the Utah State Capitol and left more questions to answer.

Utah lawmakers this year authorized millions of dollars to be used for criminal justice reform. Counties across the state are putting together their proposals right now on how they would use the funds. But Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder isn’t waiting for state approval. He’s already allocated nearly a million dollars for a new probation unit.

The first of three information sessions on a new state prison site is Wednesday night at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City. The co-chairs of the Prison Relocation Commission say the meetings are not intended for collecting public comment, but they expect to hear it anyway.

The Utah Department of Corrections officially launched a new intervention program Thursday to keep female offenders out of jail.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert ceremoniously signed the state’s sweeping criminal justice reforms into law on Thursday.