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# IowaWatch Connection: Criminal Justice Reform, Part 2
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/iowawatch-connection-criminal-justice-reform-part-2/
- Published: 2015-10-26T13:59:11.000Z
- Updated: 2015-10-26T13:59:11.000Z
- Description: Some are advocating major changes in how we handle crime and criminals. But is that being soft on crime, or smart on crime?
- Author: Jeff Stein
- Tags: iowawatch, Uncategorized, American Coalition for Criminal Justice Reform, Chuck Grassley, Criminal Justice Reform, Iowa Department of Public Safety, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

Some are advocating major changes in how we handle crime and criminals. But is that being soft on crime, or smart on crime?

According to Bernard Kerik, co-founder of the American Coalition for Criminal Justice Reform, criminal justice reform is tied to state budget issues.

“If you keep locking people up and throwing away the key and putting people in prison that don’t need prison to pay for their mistakes, you are eventually going to run out of money,” Kerik said.

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