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.
“The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island said lawmakers got it wrong when it comes to some new prison sentences. More than two dozen laws that go into effect in January either create new crimes or increase prison sentences, according to the organization. The report says lawmakers tend to be overzealous in creating new laws and that the result is contributing to unnecessary incarceration.“
NBC 10 Rhode Island
December 18, 2018
Read More“Here are some of the most pressing criminal justice issues on the ballot this November, covering debates over the war on drugs, mass incarceration, policing, crime victims’ rights, and more.“
Vox
October 30, 2018
Read More“Smart Justice Connecticut draws upon the expertise of people living with criminal records, like Curtis, in the belief that those closest to the situation are best able to offer innovative solutions to the problems of mass incarceration and its systemic inequities. Yet, those with this special, experiential expertise are typically kept out of the conversation. They remain furthest from the centers of political power, are excluded from decision-making, and lack the resources to effect change. Smart Justice seeks to empower them.“
Greenwich Time
September 23, 2018
Read More“Nearly 1 in 3 people imprisoned in Massachusetts had an open mental health case in 2017. 74 percent of imprisoned women had a mental health case in 2017. 15 percent of imprisoned women had a serious mental health disorder in 2017.“
Bay State Banner
September 7, 2018
Read More"Americans for Prosperity (AFP), the libertarian group bankrolled by the billionaire Koch network, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which defends the Bill of Rights and has been associated with progressive policies, have teamed up to host a bipartisan panel to discuss ways to end mass incarceration in Missouri."
Missouri Net
July 27, 2018
Read More"ACLU-Vermont released a candidate survey to all of Vermont state’s attorney candidates who will appear on the ballot this fall. The apparent focus of this survey was to enlighten voters on the attitudes of our candidates for office on issues of mass incarceration, and racial disparities in prosecution, among other issues....I found it concerning that ACLU-Vermont did not include any discussion or questions as to the role of victims in the criminal justice system or how state’s attorney candidates would serve crime victims and enforce victim rights."
The Vermont Digger
July 19, 2018
Read More"In June 2018, the ACLU of Vermont sent each of the candidates for state's attorney a 20-question survey, inviting them to state their personal views on a range of criminal justice issues ahead of this year’s elections, including prosecutor transparency, police accountability, the opiate epidemic, mental health services, and racial disparities in Vermont’s criminal justice system."
ACLU Vermont
July 1, 2018
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