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.
“In the Sunshine State, Floridians are permanently excluded from voting because of a prior felony conviction — one of only four states with a lifetime ban. If we want people returning to society to be productive, law-abiding citizens, we need to treat them like full-fledged citizens.“
Tampa Bay Times
September 14, 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 state should also consider alternatives to incarceration, such as substance abuse treatment and diversions to other support services, as well as the decriminalization of marijuana. Programs that include substance abuse counseling can actually help correct people’s behavior and keep them out of prison. Legislators could also enact sentencing reform that reduces the amount of time for less serious drug and property offenses.“
Mississippi Clarion Ledger
September 9, 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“Today, a snapshot of the Louisiana prison system shows that the majority of individuals incarcerated are there for violent offenses and that the number of individuals imprisoned for non-violent offenses has dropped 20 percent since the fourth quarter of 2017. There has also been a 7.4 percent decrease in prison admissions.“
Shreveport Times
September 7, 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“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"State Sen. Sharif Street (D-3) joined state Reps. Jordan Harris (D-186) and Donna Bullock (D-195) in spearheading a bicameral hearing of the Democratic Legislative Policy Committee at the State Correctional Institute — Dallas in Luzerne County, where they discussed proposals aimed at reforming Pennsylvania’s justice and prison systems."
Philadelphia Tribune
August 31, 2018
Read More"For Lewis Conway Jr., deciding to run for office was the easy part. The Austin native was a community activist looking for another way to make change. But until mid-August, the fate of his candidacy for City Council was uncertain. He had served eight years in prison and 12 on parole, and although his voting rights were restored, city officials questioned his eligibility. Only this month was he officially cleared for the November ballot."
The Appeal
August 30, 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"Gillum has campaigned on a platform that could change that. His campaign’s official site touts measures similar to those adopted in some Democratic-led states, like reducing the number of crimes that carry mandatory-minimum sentences and reforming the cash-bail system, which disproportionately harms lower-income Americans. Others are more bold: Gillum went further than his primary opponents and called for the full legalization, rather than just decriminalization, of marijuana."
New Republic
August 29, 2018
Read More"'The question is how high can we aim?' Zeidman said. 'A governor can set a tone. They can use the bully pulpit, and say, ‘I’m going to keep talking about this issue until there’s a bill on my desk'.”
The Appeal
August 28, 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
Read More"Despite the long odds, the battle is raging behind the scenes. Internal discussions of the subject at Senate lunches have been heated, according to Republican sources, a preview of what might happen on the Senate floor if the chamber takes it up. It’s the same dynamic that kept McConnell from bringing up a larger criminal justice reform package in 2016 as Cotton railed against it and declared the United States has an 'under-incarceration problem'."
Politico
August 20, 2018
Read More"llinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) blocked legislation on Friday that would have required corrections officials throughout the state to help people detained in jails and prisons understand whether they can vote. "
Huffington Post
August 20, 2018
Read More"When progressive reformers win in law enforcement and criminal justice races, they are doing so in spite of the Democratic Party, not because of it. All of this would seem to be an easy fix, but it gets to the root of the matter. Does the Democratic Party really care about black people or do they just want our votes?"
The Intercept
August 19, 2018
Read More"Even as crime rates and prison admissions have fallen over the past decade, ever-lengthening criminal sentences have left Florida prisons full of inmates and in need of a record $2.4 billion — a budget-busting challenge for the state’s next governor to resolve. How he or she would do so falls on a single but complex question: Does Florida’s harsh penal system need reform?"
Florida Times Union
August 17, 2018
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