John,
The United States is the world leader in incarceration. This year marked 50 years of the mass incarceration crisis, with the prison population having grown nearly 500% since 1973.
Top Trends in Criminal Justice Reform, 2023 describes key changes formerly incarcerated activists, lawmakers, and advocates took to challenge mass incarceration in at least 10 states. Highlights include:
- Decarceration Reforms: State lawmakers passed reforms to reduce prison admissions and adjust penalties to criminal sentences to more fairly hold persons convicted of certain crimes accountable. During 2023, policymakers and voters adopted modified compassionate release policies, drug policy changes, and second look mechanisms.
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Guaranteeing Voting Rights
: While over 4.6 million citizens are ineligible to vote because of a felony conviction, voting rights reforms have expanded the vote to over two million people since 1997. This year, officials expanded voting rights to people after incarceration and authorized automatic voter registration for people released from prison.
- Youth Justice: Lawmakers adopted policies that demonstrated a commitment to supporting young defendants and expanding release options for people sentenced in their youth.
The full briefing paper, which includes details on the authorized legislation, can be found online here. |
