First Appearance
Aug. 11, 2026
Criminal justice policy news and resources.
NCSL POLICY UPDATE
Criminal justice policy news and resources.
NCSL POLICY UPDATE
In this newsletter: How states structure drug treatment courts, pretrial legislation enacted in 2025 and recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
Drug Treatment Courts: A Legislative Primer
Most states have established statutory frameworks for drug court programs, though the specifics vary by state. Drug courts focus on individuals charged with or convicted of a crime who have been identified as having a substance use disorder. Participants enter supervised treatment and must meet intensive programmatic requirements. This report is about how state law addresses funding, treatment and services, standards and best practices, eligibility and more.
Pretrial Legislation Recap
States enacted 126 bills in 2025 related to pretrial release policy. State focus on pretrial detention and eligibility for release remained a top focus with new state constitutional amendments adopted in Alabama, Delaware and Texas. Voters in Tennessee will weigh in on similar state constitutional amendments later this year.
Behind the Headlines: The Latest from the Supreme Court
If you missed this session at Legislative Summit, watch the live stream video to dive into the most consequential decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent term. Learn about rulings that carry significant implications for the states on issues including Second Amendment rights, equal protection, campaign finance, voting rights and religious freedom.
NCSL Welcomes New Executive Officers Elected at 2026 Legislative Summit
Montana Sen. Barry Usher (R) became the 55th president of the National Conference of State Legislatures at the annual Legislative Summit in Chicago. Usher succeeds Illinois Rep. and Assistant Majority Leader Marcus C. Evans Jr., who is now formally NCSL’s president emeritus.
NCSL’s Legislation Databases
NCSL staff regularly maintain more than 40 legislation tracking databases. Find all introduced state legislation, or enactments for policy topics such as public health, ballot measures, state elections, prescription drugs, law enforcement and more. Search through active and archived databases.
► NCSL: Legislation Databases
NCSL Staff
Amber Widgery
Program Principal, Criminal Justice
📅 Upcoming NCSL Events
Virtual Events
Aug. 12 | Do Data Centers Deliver? Lessons Learned from Seasoned Tax Incentive Evaluators
Aug. 25 | When Models Meet Reality: The Limits of Economic Modeling Tools
Professional Development for Legislative Staff
Aug. 30 | LINCS and LSPA Professional Development Seminar
Sept. 13 | NLSSA Training Conference
Sept. 29 | NLPES Professional Development Seminar
Sept. 30 | NALIT Professional Development Seminar
Oct. 4 | ASLCS Professional Development Seminar
About NCSL's Criminal Justice Program
The NCSL Civil and Criminal Justice Program tracks state legislative interests and actions on a wide range of topics that reflect the many aspects and functions of criminal justice systems. Most crimes fall under the jurisdiction of states, making criminal justice a significant responsibility and expenditure item for state and local governments. Learn about the program.
Articles from news sources are provided for information purposes only and do not reflect the views or policies of NCSL.
