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John,
Today, The Sentencing Project released a new research brief, “Incarceration & Crime: A Weak Relationship,” highlighting how 46 U.S. states have reduced both incarceration and crime levels in the past decade. The brief also notes the limited contribution of mass incarceration to the historic crime drop since the 1990s. This evidence underscores the fact that we don’t have to return to a punitive playbook in the face of recent crime upticks.
46 States Have Reduced Incarceration & Crime Levels
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But experiencing declines in crime and incarceration has not prevented some states from reversing recent decarceration in the face of crime upticks. Instead of investing in mass incarceration, the report recommends evidence-based reforms to address the underlying safety needs of communities, including:
*
Reducing
unnecessary
justice
involvement
through
an
investment
in
expanded
substance
abuse
treatment
programs,
improved
access
to
harm
reduction
services,
expanded
diversion
programs,
and
investments
in
violence
prevention
programs.


*
Leveraging
non-carceral
responses
to
crime
,
such
as
community
supervision
programs,
for
individuals
who
do
not
pose
serious
threats
to
public
safety.


*
Eliminating
lengthy
and
extreme
sentences
with
a
cap
at
20
years
of
imprisonment
with
limited
exceptions.


*
Permitting
a
“second
look”
at
lengthy
and
extreme
sentences
after
10
years
of
imprisonment
so
that
sentences
reflect
the
latest
knowledge
and
standards.


*
Eliminating
bias
through
the
use
of
racial
impact
statements
to
help
lawmakers
evaluate
potential
disparities
of
proposed
legislation
before
their
adoption
and
implementation.
We hope this research brief will help to educate both policymakers and the public about the fact that crime rates and incarceration levels are not closely related. We don’t need to rely on mass incarceration to promote community safety.
Read Report [[link removed]]
[[link removed]] Nazgol Ghandnoosh, Ph.D.
Co-Director of Research
Email: [email protected] [[email protected]]
As a nonprofit organization, The Sentencing Project relies on the generosity of our community to power our work. The research, advocacy, and public education we contribute to the movement to end mass incarceration are only possible with your support. Every dollar makes a difference.
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