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 Department of Corrections reported on Friday that in that period, the state's prison population fell by 1,400, down to a total of 31,756 — a number the state has not seen since the 1990s. The savings from lower incarceration costs will allow the state to further invest in initiatives aimed at keeping people from returning, or going, to prison, and supporting crime victims, officials said.“
The Advocate
July 19, 2019
Read More“It’s not really obvious why this is the issue where divisions that often seem so entrenched are breaking down. But the fact that it can still happen in these impossibly divided times is stirring, and makes you wonder whether the same thing can happen on issues beyond criminal justice.“
The Advocate
December 22, 2018
Read More"Criminal justice reform is working in Louisiana. We’ve shed the shameful title of incarceration capital of the world and our prison population is the lowest it has been in 20 years. The state budget is reaping savings beyond initial projections, but our work to create a criminal justice system that is fairer and more efficient has only just begun."
The Advocate
July 11, 2018
Read More"The report also showed fewer people are being sent back to prison after having their outside supervision revoked, and fewer first-time offenders are being sent away in the first place. And fewer are under probation or parole, which officials attribute to improved good behavior incentives and better monitoring due to reduced caseloads. Another finding is that the legal changes have reduced the average sentence for non-violent crimes."
The Advocate
June 30, 2018
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