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.
“So how would the state be different if our incarceration rate were at the national average? First and most obviously, there would be fewer people in prison. Based on a 2016 estimated state population of 3.93 million, there would have been 15,327 fewer people locked up in our state.“
Tulsa World
April 19, 2019
Read More“It means that state prisons are holding 2,140 more inmates than they were designed to handle — about two prisons’ worth — and are at 163 percent of capacity, the second-worst overcrowding in the nation. It also casts even more doubt on whether the state can fend off a civil rights lawsuit from the ACLU of Nebraska and meet a July 2020 deadline to reduce overcrowding to 140 percent of capacity or else start paroling hundreds of prisoners.“
Omaha World Herald
March 19, 2019
Read More“But recently talking about the site’s history didn’t seem like enough for Sean Kelley, senior vice president and director of interpretation. Two years ago, after discussions about how the museum addressed the rising number of people incarcerated in the United States — especially people of color — Mr. Kelley helped rewrite the museum’s mission statement, declaring that Eastern State would no longer be neutral in recognizing mass incarceration as a crisis.“
New York Times
March 12, 2019
Read More“The idea for a cap is straightforward: No one could be sentenced for any number of charges — not attempted robbery, rape, or murder — for more than 20 years. There should be a limited exception, like there is in Norway, that lets courts extend prison sentences indefinitely for an additional five years at a time, but only if there’s proof that a person still poses a public safety threat.“
Vox
February 12, 2019
Read More“Some 30 states and the District of Columbia passed laws or enacted statutes aimed at helping returning incarcerees adjust to life in civilian society, representing a “high point” in national efforts to restore rights and status to people with a criminal record, according to the Collateral Consequences Resource Center (CCRC).“
The Crime Report
January 11, 2019
Read More“Pennsylvania’s state prison population saw its biggest drop ever in 2018, the fifth consecutive year the number of people behind bars in the state prison system has declined. The number of people incarcerated in state prison dropped to 47,370 inmates at the end of 2018 – a 1,068 decline from the prior year when there were 48,438 people behind bars in the state Department of Corrections. The state’s inmate population is down from 51,512 five years ago, corrections data show.“
New Castle News
January 11, 2019
Read More“Nearly half (45 percent) of adults in the U.S. ― or 113 million people nationwide ― have an immediate family member who has spent at least one night in jail or prison, according to a study released Dec. 6 by Cornell University and political advocacy group Fwd.us. “
Huffington Post
December 18, 2018
Read More“Available beds in Wyoming's prisons have diminished in recent years as the facilities suffered from budget cuts, understaffing and dilapidated facilities. Meanwhile, Wyoming judges have increased the rate at which people are incarcerated. In 2010, 374 of every 100,000 Wyomingites were behind bars. Six years later, 405 Wyomingites per 100,000 were in state prison custody at the year’s end.“
Casper Star Tribune
December 8, 2018
Read More“Today, Wisconsin’s jail and prison population still towers over Minnesota’s, 35,000 to 16,000. Its prisons require $150 per every Wisconsinite to stay running -- roughly twice what is required per each Minnesota citizen. And for all that money and heartbreak, it hasn’t made much of a dent in Wisconsin’s share of crime. The rates are similar in each state.“
City Pages
October 29, 2018
Read More“Following Ring's advice: decriminalizing marijuana and expunging records, abolishing the death penalty, and creating a path to parole for lifers doesn't make Pennsylvania any less safe. In fact, it will save money, reduce the size of government, and be an important step toward racial justice. It can also bring us together in a time of growing polarization.“
Philadelphia Inquirer
October 29, 2018
Read More“In his campaign for re-election, Cruz has shattered that truce. He has targeted otherwise bipartisan rhetoric about criminal justice reform as the subject for convenient campaign season attacks. It cheapens the debate and stifles the sort of progress that Texas Republicans once took pride in.“
Houston Chronicle
September 27, 2018
Read More“Andrew Speno, the state director for the group Right on Crime, spoke about criminal justice reform in Oklahoma and how the state became No. 1 in the U.S. in terms of prison population.“
Houston Chronicle
September 27, 2018
Read More“Our research found that the proposition had no appreciable impact on crime in the year following its enactment. Specifically, it had no effect on rates of homicide, rape, aggravated assault, robbery or burglary. Larceny and motor-vehicle thefts did seem to have increased moderately after Prop 47 went into effect, but these results were both sensitive to small changes in our modeling and small enough that we cannot rule out spuriousness.“
Governing Institute
September 11, 2018
Read More“The Reverse Mass Incarceration Act would reward states that reduce rates of incarceration without seeing spikes in crime. Kalief's Law would provide pre- and post-release mental health screenings and social services to individuals who are incarcerated. And my own End For-Profit Prisons Act would phase out existing contracts with private prison companies“
New Jersey Star Ledger
September 9, 2018
Read More“Arizona has the fourth highest incarceration rate in the nation. Arizona’s current prison population is nearly nine times greater than the state’s prison population in 1980. On average, people released from prison last year served roughly 31 percent more time than the average person released in 2009.“
Arizona Capitol Times
September 6, 2018
Read More"The committee will examine the state's growing prison population and the disproportionately high incarceration rate of individuals of color, relative to the general population. The committee will consider state and local policies and practices, which may contribute to the disparities. The committee members will also seek alternative policies and practices with the demonstrated potential to address such concerns."
University of Arkansas
September 5, 2018
Read More"A speaker told listeners Wednesday night at Lincoln University that Missouri is one of eight states whose prison populations have continued to grow in recent years, putting pressure on state revenue and resources."
Jefferson City News Tribune
August 30, 2018
Read More"As he makes his way across the state, Beto O'Rourke wants to know: How much does it cost to spend a night in jail? In small towns and big cities, he poses the question, grappling with the price tag of mass incarceration and fine-tuning his hopes for criminal justice reform."
Houston Chronicle
August 22, 2018
Read More"This proves that if Attorney General Sessions truly desires to reduce crime and make American communities safer, he should abandon arbitrary calls for more stringent penalties and focus instead on the quality rather than the quantity of time served."
The Hill
August 22, 2018
Read More"At first glance, it may seem typical that Lewis Conway Jr. got his name on the ballot for a seat on the Austin City Council — he paid the filing fee and turned in his application before the deadline. But Conway's success Tuesday is unique for one big reason: He's a convicted felon."
Texas Tribune
August 21, 2018
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