“Reducing the national incarceration rate is a test of our political will. Keeping a lot fewer people behind bars might well lead to an uptick in crime, especially if we release more inmates without paying for the support they need for successful reintegration once they are released (more on this in the next post). And the reform efforts to date suggest that our commitment to reducing the prison population may not be matched by our willingness to take the risks necessary to make it happen. This can been seen most clearly in our treatment of those who commit violent crimes.“

Reason Magazine

October 9, 2019

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“In a prior post I suggested that there were significant barriers to reducing the size of America's prison and jail populations, a necessary step if we are to overcome what is now routinely called "mass incarceration." This is the first of three posts dedicated to addressing those barriers.“

Reason Magazine

October 8, 2019

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“But while the recent decline in prison populations is real, there are also reasons to wonder.  Given the size of the U.S. inmate population and the extremely high rate at which we put people behind bars, will any reform efforts be enough to shed the "mass incarceration" label? Over the next few posts I will be discussing this question, and (to cut to the chase) conclude that the answer is, sadly, no.  There are both obvious and subtle barriers to reducing the inmate population to levels, ones that range from difficult to near-impossible to overcome.“

Reason Magazine

October 7, 2019

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