The Case For the Smarter Sentencing Act

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 298-301
Author(s):  
John G. Malcolm
Keyword(s):  
Public Safety ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Federal Prison ◽  
Drug Offenders ◽  
Significant Percentage ◽  
Low Level

Beginning in the 1980’s, Congress passed a series of “tough on crime” mandatory minimum sentences. While increased periods of incarceration contributed to reduced crime rates, the pendulum has swung too far. Mandatory minimum sentences designed for “kingpins” are often meted out to low level drug offenders, who occupy a significant percentage of the federal prison population. The Smarter Sentencing Act would, among other things, reduce the level of minimum sentences for some drug offenders without eliminating them, enabling judges to impose harsher sentences when warranted and freeing up prison space for offenders who pose a greater risk to public safety.

I dannati delle carceri. Una pronuncia della Corte Suprema degli Stati Uniti: una lezione da seguire

2012 ◽  
pp. 72-83
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Grande
Keyword(s):  
Public Safety ◽  
Zero Tolerance ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Zero Tolerance Policy ◽  
Prison Overcrowding ◽  
Ultimate Failure ◽  
The U.S

Building new prisons is not a solution for prison overcrowding; to the contrary, it is part of the problem. This is the U.S. Supreme Court's lesson in one of its most recent decisions, Brown v. Plata, confirming the previous order of a three-judge court to reduce California's prison population by around 40.000 persons within two years. Finding cruel and unusual the punishment imposed to prisoners in California, because of the terrible conditions in serving their sentence, the Court shows the ultimate failure of a sentencing system based upon incapacitation and a zero tolerance policy. Public safety is better served without rather than with prisons: this seems to be the message that Brown v. Plata is sending to legislators, administrators and citizens. It is a message that Europeans and Italians should listen to very carefully.

States' Budget Investments in Technology and Improving Criminal Justice Outcomes

2018 ◽  
pp. 90-105
Author(s):  
Deborah Mohammed-Spigner ◽  
Brian E. Porter ◽  
Lois M. Warner
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Public Safety ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Rate Of Return ◽  
Drug Courts ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Criminal Justice Reform ◽  
Prison Populations

Investments in criminal justice have been expanding over the decades especially as specific outcomes have been sought to address the issues surrounding crime and public safety. Reducing crime and the rate of imprisonment can both significantly impact public safety and cost savings, as well as address outcomes for the justice-involved population in reducing the rate of return to imprisonment, or recidivism. Lessening sentences for non-violent crimes and expanding drug courts as an alternative to incarceration, along with other major criminal justice reform, have led some states to experience a reduction in crime and prison population. New Jersey, Hawaii, and California have made significant strides to reduce its crime and prison populations and are leaders in achieving major criminal justice reform. This chapter seeks to examine corrections spending for these three leading states that have implemented evidence-based policies and adapted information technology to improve criminal justice outcomes. It will also outline states spending on corrections over the past five years.

scholarly journals Health outcomes and cost-effectiveness of diversion programs for low-level drug offenders: A model-based analysis

PLoS Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. e1003239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cora L. Bernard ◽  
Isabelle J. Rao ◽  
Konner K. Robison ◽  
Margaret L. Brandeau
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Diversion Programs ◽  
Drug Offenders ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Model Based Analysis

scholarly journals Feasibility and Outcome of HCV Treatment in a Canadian Federal Prison Population

2005 ◽  
Vol 95 (10) ◽  
pp. 1737-1739 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Farley ◽  
Shawn Vasdev ◽  
Benedikt Fischer ◽  
Emma Haydon ◽  
Jürgen Rehm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prison Population ◽  
Hcv Treatment ◽  
Federal Prison

scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF COUNTY-LEVEL PRISON POPULATION GROWTH ON CRIME RATES*

2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
TOMISLAV V. KOVANDZIC ◽  
LYNNE M. VIERAITIS
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
County Level

scholarly journals The War On Drugs And Crime Rates

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 285
Author(s):  
Yassaman Saadatmand ◽  
Michael Toma ◽  
Jeremy Choquette
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
War On Drugs ◽  
The United States ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Federal Spending ◽  
Drug Offenders ◽  
Drug Enforcement ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Drugs And Crime ◽  
Drug Enforcement Agency

This paper analyzes the effects of the War on Drugs on crime rates. Many in the field of law enforcement believe that incarcerating drug offenders reduces crime. However, time-series analysis of four types of crime rates in the United States does not support this view. Using seven explanatory variables, including federal spending on the Drug Enforcement Agency, incarceration rates for drug offenders, and abortion rates, the results suggest the incarceration of drug offenders causes a crowding-out effect in prisons, releasing non-drug offenders and thereby potentially increasing, rather than reducing crime.

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