Insights & Information

Many state legislatures are contemplating criminal justice reforms in efforts to balance their budgets. In California, there is a call to downgrade simple drug possession penalties from felonies to misdemeanors to shorten prison sentences and in turn reduce costs.  Florida has multiple bills moving through its legislature to reform the criminal justice system, including one creating diversion programs for juveniles and one promoting the use of treatment-based drug courts. In Ohio a bill has passed the house, diverting non-violent offenders into community based centers rather than prison.

As the government attempts to find ways to spend less, sentencing reform offers a potential solution. Since the 1980s, as prison populations have grown rapidly so too has corrections spending.  The Sentencing Project has provided a draft letter for constituents to contact their federal legislators and urge them to reform sentencing policies in ways that can both save money and maintain public safety.