fbpx

Institute for Justice

Policing for Profit: Second Edition

Home » Report » Strategic Research » Policing for Profit: Second Edition

By Dick M. Carpenter II, Ph.D., Lisa Knepper, Angela C. Erickson and Jennifer McDonald, with contributions from Wesley Hottot and Keith Diggs

Civil forfeiture laws pose some of the greatest threats to property rights in the nation today, too often making it easy and lucrative for law enforcement to take and keep property—regardless of the owner’s guilt or innocence. This updated and expanded second edition of Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture makes the case for reform, grading the civil forfeiture laws of each state and the federal government, documenting remarkable growth in forfeiture activity across the country, and highlighting a worrisome lack of transparency surrounding forfeiture activity and expenditures from forfeiture funds.

Table of Contents

  • Foreword
  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction
  • Grading State & Federal Civil Forfeiture Laws
  • Federal Equitable Sharing
  • Civil Forfeiture & Transparency
  • Following the Funds
  • Conclusion
  • Appendix A: State Law Grading Methods
  • Appendix B: Civil Forfeiture Law Citations and Other References


    • DOWNLOAD

    Additional Resources

    State Profiles

    In the News

    Press Releases

    • Press Release

      California Governor Signs Major Civil Forfeiture Reform

      Arlington, VA– Today, California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 443, a major overhaul of the state’s civil forfeiture laws. The bill marks one of the nation’s most significant reforms of its kind. “Civil forfeiture is one of the most serious assaults on due process and private property rights in America today,” said Institute for Justice…

    • Press Release

      TAKEN: New Report Finds Civil Forfeiture Laws Are Fueling Explosive Growth in Property Seizures

      Arlington, Va.—Draconian state and federal civil forfeiture laws are fueling an unprecedented rise in property seizures nationwide, according to a new national study—and federal laws are among the nation’s worst. The study provides the most comprehensive examination of civil forfeiture laws and forfeiture statistics yet compiled. The federal government’s civil forfeiture scheme scores a D-…

    Related Reports

    Related Cases

    Sign up to receive IJ's biweekly digital magazine, Liberty & Law along with breaking updates about our fight to protect the rights of all Americans.

    JOIN THE FIGHT!