Policy Brief
On the Chopping Block 2013: State Prison Closures
This briefing paper documents state prison closures and attributes the trend to declining state prison populations, fiscal constraints, and sentencing and parole reforms.
Related to: Incarceration
During 2013, at least six states closed 20 correctional facilities or contemplated doing so, potentially reducing prison capacity by 11,370 beds and resulting in estimated five-year cost savings of over $229 million. Since 2011, at least 17 states have reduced prison capacity totaling over 35,000 beds. But in contrast to this trend, some states announced in 2013 that they may open new correctional facilities or reopen facilities that had previously been shuttered.
