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• Study Links State Prison Reforms to Drops in Welfare Spending
• Prison reforms may result in better conditions for inmates, but those improvements come at the expense of welfare cash assistance and other government relief for the needy, according to a study released this month by Rice University and Louisiana State University.

• 'Stand Your Ground' Laws Receive Fresh Scrutiny In Wake of Zimmerman Verdict
• Across the country, at least 22 states have “stand your ground” laws, with varying degrees of requirements for when citizens may use deadly force to protect themselves. In the wake of the George Zimmerman's acquittal in the death of Trayvon Martin, they are receiving fresh scrutiny.

• Jerry Brown Submits New Plan to Ease Prison Overcrowding
• The governor has asked for $450 million over the next two years to lease up to 4,100 beds in county jails and private prisons and to continue shipping 8,500 inmates to other states. He has also proposed changes to credit programs that lead to early release.

• Federal Judges Order California to Immediately Release Prisoners
• In a sharp rebuke of Gov. Jerry Brown, a panel of three Federal judges said the state must take immediate steps to release inmates toward compliance with their 2009 order that the prison population be reduced to 137.5 percent of capacity.

• Court Rules Against California's Execution Method
• Death penalty supporters want Gov. Brown to challenge a court decision that lethal-injection protocol was not properly reviewed, but other technical hurdles remain.

• Former Calif. Lt. Gov. Criticizes State's Prison Policies
• In a speech where he hinted at a possible run for governor, former Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado called out Gov. Jerry Brown for his handling of prison crowding in the state, calling the policies being pursued an "early release" program.

• Prisons Get Rated on Yelp
• The business and restaurant rating site is now being used to rate an unconventional entity -- prisons. Inmates are reporting about the quality of the food, the friendliness of deputies, and more.

• California's Bid to End Prison Oversight Denied in Federal Court
• A three-judge federal court on Thursday rejected Gov. Jerry Brown's attempt to avoid the court's order to reduce California's prison population. They also threatened to find state officials in contempt if they do not further reduce prison populations.

• California Governor Grants 65 Easter Pardons
• On the day before Easter, Gov. Jerry Brown pardoned 65 people who served sentences years ago for various crimes.

• Texas Seeks New Execution Standards for Intellectually Disabled
• A new bill seeks to clarify the standards used when deciding to execute intellectually disabled criminals.

• Prisoners Fill in for Researchers During Tough Times
• Washington state trains prisoners to do scientific research.

• Report: Recidivism Rate Down as Texas Focuses on Treatment
• Thanks partly to greatly expanded rehabilitation and treatment programs, Texas sent 11 percent fewer ex-convicts back to prison in recent years a significant drop in recidivism that is being replicated across the country, according to a new study.

• Study: Shorter Prison Terms Could Save States Millions
• Most of the public support cutting sentences.

• Ilinois Gov. Quinn Forges Ahead with Prison Closures
• Gov. Pat Quinn is moving forward with plans to shut down several prisons for adults and juveniles, even though lawmakers set aside money to keep them open.

• Private Prison Closure Worries Rural Kentucky Town
• After a sex scandal at a privately run prison in rural Kentucky, the state cut off the institution's funding and now it's shutting down — and that worries town officials in an impoverished Appalachian community where incarceration meant jobs and economic survival.

• 4 Prisoners, Including 1 Murderer, Escaped Kansas Jail
• Four inmates escaped early Wednesday from a Kansas jail where they were transferred because of overcrowding at a state prison, and three of the men — including a convicted murderer — remained on the loose by late afternoon.

• Texas Ex-Inmate Fights for $2M Under Wrongful Conviction Compensation Law
• Billy Frederick Allen spent more than 25 years in prison before an appeals court overturned his convictions in two murders. Three years after winning his freedom, Allen is fighting the state again — this time for the $2 million he says he's owed for wrongful imprisonment.

• Prison Counts Decline As States Enact Reforms
• The nation's prison population recently declined for the first time in nearly 40 years. View a map and detailed data for your state.

• Critics Claim Proposed Private Prison Deal Could Encourage Harsher Sentencing
• Private prison operator wants to buy facilities in exchange for a promise that they'll stay 90 percent full.

• Governors’ Pardons Are Becoming a Rarity
• Many governors are now reluctant to grant pardons. The reason, according to analysts, is mostly political.