Monday, June 14, 2010
(photo: California Department of Corrections)
Sentencing reform for non-violent offenders could lead to billion-dollar reductions in state and local corrections budgets, argues the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) in a new report.
The authors of “The High Budgetary Costs of Incarceration” estimate that state and local governments could save $15 billion a year by reducing the incarceration rate for lower- risk criminals.
CEPR found that 60% of prison and jail populations consisted of non-violent offenders, and a quarter of all prisoners were drug offenders not convicted of violent crimes.
The research center also pointed out that the total number of violent crimes in the U.S. was only 3% higher in 2008 than it was in 1980. During that time period, the American population increased by 33% while the prison and jail population soared by more than 350%.
As of 2008, the U.S. had an incarceration rate of 753 per 100,000 people—the highest by far in the world. The second highest belonged to Poland, at 224.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Lowering Non-Violent Incarceration Rate by Half Would Result in Billions in Savings for Cash-Strapped State and Local Governments (Center for Economic and Policy Research)
The High Budgetary Cost of Incarceration (Charts) (Center for Economic and Policy Research)
The High Budgetary Cost of Incarceration (by John Schmitt, Kris Warner, and Sarika Gupta, Center for Economic and Policy Research) (pdf)
Comments