JPI cites CAPPS’s report 10,000 Michigan prisoners: Strategies to reach the goal
National partner Justice Policy Institute (JPI) is an organization that advances policies that promote well-being and justice for all communities. The Institute does research and analysis along with training and technical assistance for people working for justice reform.
JPIs recent report Defining Violence shows that the way violent crime is discussed in the U.S. creates confusion in reform efforts. In particular, the report finds a wide variety of activities are labeled as violent and laws can vary from state to state making sentences inconsistent and longer. For example burglary may be considered a nonviolent offense in one state and a violent offense in another. The report also gives recommendations for how to address over-incarceration based on its findings.
JPI reports that people who commit violent crimes such as homicide and sex offenses are the least likely to commit another felony crime. Moreover, there is no evidence that shows keeping people in prisons longer keeps us safer. Among the recommendations included in the report are: increasing prevention, intervention, and public health responses to violence as well as reducing the number of offenses that result in incarceration and change laws, policies, and practices that affect length of stay.
The report also cautions that simply studying the issue won’t solve the problem of over incarceration giving examples of three states who have failed to act after careful recommendations from policy experts.
For the full JPI report and more findings click here.
You can visit the Justice Policy Institute at:http://www.justicepolicy.org/index.html