Because 90% of all prisoners in the United States are in state facilities, the work that states are doing to reduce their prison populations is crucial. Attempting to end mass incarceration necessitates realizing this is a situation requiring not one national solution, but fifty state solutions. Below are current state solutions that could be effectively modeled by other states for meaningful reform.
“As the overall New York City jail population continues to decline, the number of people detained due to technical parole violations is on the rise, a new city study reports. The average daily inmate population for those accused of violating the conditions of their state parole grew from 550 in 2014 to 650 in 2018 – an increase of about 18%, according to data released on Tuesday by the city’s Independent Budget Office.“
New York Daily News
August 27, 2019
Read More“From arrest to sentencing, the process of sending someone to prison in America is full of rules and standards meant to guarantee fairness and predictability. An incredible amount of attention is given to the process, and rightly so. But in sharp contrast, the processes for releasing people from prison are relatively ignored by the public and by the law. State paroling systems vary so much that it is almost impossible to compare them.“
Prison Policy Initiative
February 26, 2019
Read More“A new clemency commission can be created without Congress. The idea has support from both left-wing and conservative advocates, who note Trump’s repeated musing about the unfairness of the criminal justice system, including a remark in October that “a lot of people” are in prison for “no reason” and that he was “actively looking” to address that.“
Washington Examiner
December 4, 2018
Read More"The state Board of Parole is woefully understaffed, and two members who have deep political and police ties routinely reject prisoners without ever giving them a chance, a scathing new report by criminal justice activists charges."
New York Daily News
August 14, 2018
Read More"In his first six months in office, Edwards commuted 22 sentences out of 56 sent to him with positive recommendation from the state’s Board of Pardons. Sixteen of the offenders whose applications he granted were serving life without parole."
The Appeal
July 9, 2018
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