Events
The center aims to bridge the gap between academic research and policy realities by providing a space where academics, government leaders and other stakeholders can engage and collaborate on examining issues of interest and concern. To do so, the center will host conferences and symposia to educate and bring awareness to drug policy and enforcement issues. The center aspires to provide stakeholders with programming and materials that can aid them in their day-to-day work and create a forum to discuss the challenges presented by this field.
Thank you to all who joined the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center for its official launch event on Friday, November 2. We were joined by two distinguished alumni of the Moritz College of Law: the governor of the State of Nevada, the Honorable Brian Sandoval ('89), and CBS Correspondent, Erin Moriarty ('77).
Governor Sandoval and Ms. Moriarty, along with the center's director, professor Douglas Berman, discussed a number of issues including the current opioid crisis, the growing momentum behind marijuana legalization and how to best manage this process, and the importance of evidence-based policy decision making.
The 2018 Ohio Neighborhood Safety, Drug Treatment, and Rehabilitation Amendment was a ballot initiative aiming to change Ohio constitution to achieve four goals: (1) change drug possession felonies to misdemeanors, (2) prohibit prison sentences for technical probation violations, (3) expand the ability to earn up to 25% off a prison sentence through rehabilitative programming, and (4) redirect funds saved from reduced incarceration to drug treatment and victims’ services. On November 6, the initiative, also known as Issue 1, was soundly defeated 63.4% to 36.6%.
Our series, Ballot Insights, aimed to unpack the complicated issues and provide a venue for informed discussion of the individual policy proposals included in this proposed constitutional amendment. Thank you to all who helped us make the series a success:
5 panels
- September 13 - The Neighborhood Safety, Drug Treatment, and Rehabilitation Amendment: Step in the Right Direction?
- October 4 - Earning Freedom: Working Toward Sentence Reduction
- October 18 - Devil in the Details: Funding Effective Rehabilitation and Treatment
- November 1 - Sentencing and Parole Reform in Practice: Insights on Implementation Challenges
- November 29 - The Passage or Failure of The Neighborhood Safety, Drug Treatment, and Rehabilitation Amendment: What Can We Learn from Ohio's Voting Patterns?
18 speakers
195 unique attendees
355 registrations
5 expert commentaries
Over 4500 page views of the Issue 1 sites
73 news articles collected