PRISON POPULATION IS DECREASING IN UNITED STATES - JUSTICE REINVESTMENT Some American states are embracing what is known as the “justice reinvestment” approach, under which they channel significant sums of money into improved parole or probation services while beefing up the drug treatment and mental health services that many ex-offenders need to stay out of trouble. States have found that many inmates go back to prison not for committing new crimes but for technical violations, like missing appointments with parole officers or failing drug tests. With that knowledge, states have moved to less costly and more effective sanctions — a brief jail stay, community service or more frequent meetings with the parole officer — for such offenses. Underlying state reforms is a relatively new and more sophisticated way of using data about the offender — including criminal history, drug abuse and instances of antisocial behavior — to assess the likelihood of that individual’s committing a new crime. And by examining arrest, sentencing and probation data, the states can revise policies that might be driving people back into prison unnecessarily. There are proven ways to move away from discredited, ruinously expensive corrections policies. More states need to adopt these approaches... THATS WHY WE SHOULD JUST REINVEST - NOW
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 02:18:02 +0000