Vermont’s prison population is on the decline, reversing a trend that led a 2007 study by the Pew Center on the States to project a 26 percent increase by 2018.

Governor Peter Shumlin is celebrating victories in what he calls "the war on recidivism." He says the state has made progress in reducing the prison population while also cutting the crime rate. more

The state's prison population is decreasing and so is the number of offenders committing new crimes, Gov. Peter Shumlin said Wednesday.

Last summer, 29-year-old "Jane," who lives in Portland, had a serious problem involving an "old root canal gone wrong."

In the state of Illinois’ current economic climate, it is important to help businesses create and retain jobs needed to revitalize our economy. But there must be assurances the state is making responsible investments. We must critically examine economic development tools currently being used to ensure state dollars are being used efficiently and that taxpayers are getting the best return on every incentive.

Next Monday, April 30, civic-minded coders will join forces near Washington, D.C., to build new applications that help voters get the information they need on Election Day. The event, co-sponsored by the Pew Center on the States, The Sunlight Foundation, and Microsoft will focus on the tools and data provided by the Voting Information Project (VIP), which answers common questions including “Where is my polling place?” “Who is on my ballot?” and “How do I navigate the voting process?”

This November, Foursquare users will be able to receive an "I Voted" badge when they visit their polling places. In addition, voters in 37 states will have an easier time finding election information via social media and mobile devices, thanks to the Voting Information Project (VIP), an initiative of the Pew Center on the States, Microsoft, AT&T, Foursquare, Google, state elections offices, media partners and others.

If you've opened a checking account, chances are you've skipped reading the mile-long account agreement that comes with it. Thanks to the Safe Checking Project from the Pew Charitable Trusts, those lengthy documents are starting to get shorter.

Two years after regulators gave Americans more power to manage overdrafts of their checking accounts, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is reviewing bank practices to determine if the crackdown went far enough. more

Another big bank has joined the “simple checking disclosure” movement advocated by an arm of the nonprofit group Pew Charitable Trusts. more

In an era of persistent budget deficits, at least a dozen states are moving to adapt and implement a cutting-edge tool for policy research and analysis, beginning with criminal justice policy and eventually expanding to other areas. States are under increasing pressure to ensure that scarce resources are invested in programs that yield the best results. In addition, many policy makers are looking for information that would allow them to target cuts more strategically, rather than making across-the-board reductions that treat effective and ineffective programs alike.