With states around the nation experiencing significant fiscal crises, legislators are increasingly interested in prioritizing available resources as they affect how states direct scarce correctional dollars.
As a result, many states are rethinking their sentencing policies in order to develop fair and effective approaches to strengthen public safety. Legislative initiatives to address prison overcrowding, parole policies and sentencing alternatives are increasingly at the forefront of state criminal justice agendas.
During 2009, state legislatures in at least 19 states enacted policies that hold the potential to reduce prison populations and/or promote more effective approaches to public safety. This report examines these initiatives in sentencing reform, death penalty, probation and parole practices, and juvenile justice.
To read the report, download the PDF below.
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African Americans are incarcerated in state prisons across the country at more than five times the rate of whites, and at least ten times the rate in five states. This report documents the rates of incarceration for whites, African Americans, and Hispanics in each state, identifies three contributors to racial and ethnic disparities in imprisonment, and provides recommendations for reform.
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