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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, December 14, 2009
Contact: LaWanda Johnson, ljohnson@justicepolicy.org
(202) 558-7974 x 308 (office), (202) 320-1029 (mobile)
Adam Ratliff, aratliff@justicepolicy.org (202) 558-7974 x 306

Analysis: U.S. incarceration continues to grow and racial disparities persist

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Although the growth of imprisonment was down in 2008, the number of incarcerated people is still on the rise, according to an analysis released today by the Justice Policy Institute (JPI). The analysis, which is based on the Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Statistics report released this week, found that 12,000 more people were incarcerated in 2008 than in the previous year, with more than 1.6 million people currently incarcerated in a federal or state prison in the United States. The number of people in prison continues to increase even as crime goes down, and in spite of evidence of its ineffectiveness as a public safety strategy. As states continue to grapple with budget crises, JPI says it is time for policymakers to step up their use of cost-effective alternatives to incarceration.
 
"In the midst of a fiscal meltdown, we simply cannot sustain or justify our infatuation with incarceration. Data shows that there is little if any relationship between the use of incarceration, crime rates, and what is known to be effective from both the perspectives of protecting public safety and the use of taxpayer dollars," said Tracy Velázquez, executive director of the Justice Policy Institute. "While the deceleration of the growth in prisoners is encouraging, the ongoing expansion in the number of people incarcerated continues to be out of step with other criminal justice data and the availability of more effective alternatives. Reducing incarceration rates should be a top state and national priority, and it can be done while preserving public safety."
 
According to the analysis, the number of people in prison increased 0.8 percent last year, making a total increase in the national prison population of 15.7 percent since 2000. In 2008, about one out of every 198 people in the U.S. was incarcerated in a federal or state prison.
 
Communities of color continue to be grossly over-represented in jails and prisons, as the multitude of systemic and social reasons for this disparity have not been adequately addressed. Although the DOJ report found that the number of African-Americans in prison fell by 18,400 since 2000, the number of incarcerated Hispanics has increased, and black men are still 6.5 times more likely, and Hispanic men 2.5 times more likely, to be in prison than white men.
 
"While the decrease in the number of incarcerated African Americans is notable, it is only a small reduction in the disproportionate imprisonment rates that impact communities of color," added Velázquez. "These shameful racial disparities undermine the credibility of our system of justice in the United States and should be a matter of urgent concern for policymakers and legislators."
 
According to JPI's analysis, more people are being released without potentially supportive community release mechanisms, such as parole; this may be an indication that states are relying less on parole as a mode of release from prison for people who are eligible, and instead releasing people at the end of their full sentence. It likely also reflects the mounting impact of mandatory minimum sentences that were enacted over the past two decades. The growing number of people serving their entire sentence rather than being released on parole means many won't have the benefits of case management and other supportive parole services.
 
JPI also noted that in both 2007 and 2008, the violent and property crime rates fell from the previous year. In 2008, the violent crime rate fell 2.8 percent. Yet, the number of people in prison continues to grow, even if it is at a slower pace. This year was the first year since 2001 that the imprisonment rate fell, albeit merely 0.4 percent (504 per 100,000 in 2008 v. 506 per 100,000 in 2007). Research shows that over the last 10 years, states that have increased their prison populations have not seen concurrent decreases in violent crime. At the same time, the states that have reduced their incarceration rates have seen some of the largest drops in violent crime.
 
"This is a time for the federal government, states and localities to be looking for ways to save money and cut expensive and ineffective programs and policies," says Velázquez. "Reducing the number of people in prison can be an effective means of saving money and protecting community safety. And front-end investments such as education and employment opportunities have been shown to have positive long-term impact on communities."
 
The Justice Policy Institute (JPI), a Washington, D.C.-based policy group that promotes fair and rational justice policies, cautions that no single factor can explain changes in crime across the nation, or within a jurisdiction. JPI has assembled key findings from these new crime and prison surveys to put the new figures in their appropriate context.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, October 8, 2009 12:01 am
Contacts: LaWanda Johnson, (202) 558-7974 x308, ljohnson@justicepolicy.org
Adam M. Ratliff, (202) 558-7974 x 300, aratliff@justicepolicy.org

Statement from the Justice Policy Institute on Healthcare Reform:
An under-considered benefit of healthcare reform is fewer people in prison, says JPI

Washington, DC--In an opinion editorial just published in the Washington Post, the Justice Policy Institute’s Executive Director, Tracy Velázquez, says as Congress debates the costs of reforming our health-care system, it should consider one significant collateral cost of not acting: maintaining the world's highest rate of incarceration. Every year, thousands of people are locked up in U.S. prisons and jails because they do not have access to health care to treat mental illness and drug addiction.

People with mental illnesses often end up in prisons, jails and juvenile facilities when they are unable to access treatment in their communities. According to the Department of Justice, one in four people in state prisons experienced mental health issues in the year preceding incarceration, and nearly two-thirds of people in local jails live with mental illness. Over half of people in state prisons meet the criteria for drug dependence or abuse. Parents of children with serious emotional disturbances who are uninsured or under-insured sometimes turn their own children in to the police, because their kids will get at least a minimum of treatment in the juvenile justice system. Prisons, jails and juvenile facilities are now some of the largest providers of mental health services in the country.

Velazquez authored the piece because U.S. data shows that inability to afford treatment is the main reason people give for not getting the care they need. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicated that 37.4 percent of people who sought substance abuse treatment indicated they didn’t receive it because they had no health coverage and couldn’t afford the cost of treatment. The same survey also reported that 42 percent of those who needed mental health treatment but didn’t get it said the primary reason was that they couldn’t afford it. Underinsurance is also a problem: 34 percent of insured people who had unmet mental health needs indicated that cost was a barrier to seeking treatment. “And this survey, which relies on voluntary phone interviews, likely underestimates the problem,” added Velazquez.

“Americans understand that health care reform must include mental health and substance abuse treatment,” said Velazquez. She cited a recent national poll commissioned by the Open Society Institute that found that more than three-quarters of Americans (77 percent) support including addiction treatment in health reform. “If through improved access to health care we were to reduce our nation's incarceration rate by just 10 percent,” concluded Velazquez, “the country could save roughly $5.5 billion in incarceration costs annually. And this doesn't include the savings in courts, police, parole and other related costs of incarceration.

“If Congress fails to pass health care reform legislation which ensures that people, regardless of income, have the ability to obtain the mental health and substance abuse treatment they need, we will have missed out on an opportunity to both keep thousands of children and adults from becoming incarcerated, and to help those who have been incarcerated to be productive and healthy members of society. And that would be a real shame.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, Septermber 15, 2009 12:01 am
CONTACT: LaWanda Johnson
(202) 558-7974 x308

Crime report shows violent crime fell in 2008 as incarceration rates continue to decrease

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Violent crime in the United States fell by 1.9 percent and property crimes by 0.8 percent in 2008, according to an analysis released today by the Justice Policy Institute. The analysis, which was based on the full 2008 FBI Uniform Crime Report, which was released this week, also found that this drop in crime coincided with a drop in incarceration from previous years. The Justice Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C. based think tank, hailed the news, saying it bolsters the case for a connection between effective alternatives to incarceration and public safety.

“Reducing incarceration rates is not only fiscally responsible, it is also the humane thing to do,” said Tracy Velázquez, executive director of the Justice Policy Institute. “This week’s report shows that we can preserve public safety while expanding the use of community supervision and improving the systems that help people be successful, including treatment, housing, and job services.”

According to the analysis, the number of violent crimes fell in three of the four regions of the country. The number of property crimes fell in two of the four regions of the country; both the Northeastern and Southern regions experienced an increase of less than 3 percent in the number of property crimes.

While jails and prison populations continue to grow, the growth rate slowed in 2008, coinciding with the drop in crime. From 2007-2008, violent crime fell 1.9 percent while the growth rates of prisons and jails slowed, suggesting that lowering the number of people incarcerated can be an effective way to increase public safety.

From 2005-2006, violent crime had increased slightly (1.9 percent), while prison and jail populations also grew (by 2 and 2.5 percent, respectively). However, as the growth rate of prisons and jails has slowed, the violent crime rate declined as well, down 1.4 percent from 2006 to 2007.

“This data also confirms that increasing incarceration does not necessarily mean improvements in public safety. We should not starve our education and human service budgets to grow jails and prisons,”Velázquez added. “Focusing on increasing investments in people and communities is what will ensure that these crime numbers continue to drop.”

The Justice Policy Institute (JPI), a Washington, D.C.-based policy group that promotes fair and rational justice policies, cautions that no single factor can explain changes in crime across the nation, or within a jurisdiction. We have assembled key findings from these new crime and prison surveys to put the new figures in their appropriate context.

For a more in-depth analysis of crime trends, and information on effective public safety practices, please visit our website at www.justicepolicy.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 12:01 am
CONTACT: LaWanda Johnson
(202) 558-7974 x308
Cell: (202) 320-1029

New reports highlight economic benefits of alternatives to incarceration;
Research briefs on adult and juvenile justice outline ways for states to save millions

WASHINGTON--States could improve public safety and save millions of dollars by investing in community-based alternatives, according to two new research briefs released today by the Justice Policy Institute (JPI). With states facing serious budgetary constraints, these reports offer policymakers more effective juvenile and criminal justice frameworks to guide them in making difficult budget decisions.

"There's no magic formula for saving money and protecting public safety," said Tracy Velázquez, executive director of JPI. "Rather, policymakers can use the tools we already have and reduce correctional populations through incremental changes based on existing, evidence-based strategies. Expanding access to treatment, improving parole policies and practices, and reducing the number of nonviolent youth and adults that are incarcerated can help states cut costs in the short-term, and also increase the long-term economic productivity and health of communities."

The Costs of Confinement: Why Good Juvenile Justice Policies Make Good Fiscal Sense finds that states spend about $5.7 billion each year imprisoning youth, even though the majority are held for nonviolent offenses. The brief concludes that most youth could be managed safely in the community through alternatives that cost substantially less than incarceration and could lower recidivism by up to 22 percent. These alternatives are also more cost-effective in reducing crime than incarceration, yielding up to $13 in benefits for every dollar spent.

According to Pruning Prisons: How Cutting Corrections Can Save Money and Protect Public Safety, similar benefits can be found in the adult system through investments in treatment and parole services. States could save a combined $4.1 billion by increasing the availability of parole by shifting 10 percent of the prison population into the parole system, and improving parole support and services so that fewer people are returned to prison for technical (rule) violations. Additionally, the report finds that community-based drug treatment provides bigger crime reduction returns than prison--for every dollar spent on drug treatment in the community, the state receives $18 in benefits.

"For several decades, policymakers have tried to spend their way to public safety via 'cops, courts and corrections.' This strategy has made the United States the leader in imprisoning its residents, and has failed as a public safety approach. Without a change in direction states could end up spending more than $50 billion on corrections by 2010," said Velázquez. "These reports inform policymakers that there are better options for improving public safety - options that build stronger, healthier communities instead of more prison cells."

The Justice Policy Institute recommends the following changes to improve public safety and save money:

• States and the federal government should re-examine policies that drive increases in incarceration, such as recommitment for technical violations of parole conditions, and incarceration for low-level drug offenses and many nonviolent offenses. Non-incarcerative, community-based alternatives should be explored.

• States and the federal government should implement policies that can safely increase releases from prison through parole and other community-based programs.

• As closing prisons realizes the largest financial savings, policymakers should scale their reforms to enable the closure of a facility or, at a minimum, a wing or other discrete portion of a facility.

• To achieve long-term public safety gains, money saved on incarceration should be invested in community-based services that improve both public safety and the life outcomes of individuals, and in social institutions that build strong communities, including education, employment training, housing, and treatment.

Other recommendations to improve the juvenile justice system include:
Incentivize counties to send fewer youth to residential care facilities by shifting the fiscal architecture of the state juvenile justice system to reward increased utilization of community-based options.

Invest in intermediate interventions, not secure facilities that don't improve public safety and interfere with youth development and the chances of future success.
Invest in proven approaches to reduce crime and recidivism among young people.
Fund evaluations of effective programs and policies in juvenile justice, and support the development of new and different approaches to reduce delinquency and recidivism among young people.

For more information about The Costs of Confinement and Pruning Prisons or to request a copy of either brief, please contact LaWanda Johnson at (202) 558-7974 x308 or ljohnson@justicepolicy.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: LaWanda Johnson
(202) 558-7974 x308
(202) 320-1029

Parole reforms in Maryland could save millions

Focus on treatment, releasing people who are low-risk, and reducing technical violations would improve system while maintaining public safety

WASHINGTON DC—Maryland could save millions of dollars by releasing onto parole many low risk individuals – like some of the oldest members of the prison population – and by expanding parole eligibility and improving supervision, according to a report released today by the Justice Policy Institute. The report, The Release Valve: Parole in Maryland, notes that in 2007 the state spent approximately $1,422 per person on parole or probation, and $33,310 per person incarcerated. Just by paroling an additional 100 people, the report concludes, the state could potentially save approximately $3 million over the course of one year while maintaining public safety.

“At a time of budget cuts and financial crises, it is important to note that, if used correctly, parole can reduce spending without compromising public safety,” said Tracy Velázquez, executive director of the Justice Policy Institute.

According to the report, the state has made real progress in its efforts to increase drug treatment and change some parole practices. Maryland already uses effective programs like diminution, or “good-time,” credits to allow people in prison to earn earlier parole and has a policy for medical parole, but these and other proven initiatives are not being used to the fullest extent possible. Research shows that the state could expand the use of risk assessment instruments to determine those people in prison who could be placed on community supervision; since most people “age out” of crime, moving older people from prison to parole could safely result in significant savings. For example, by placing even half of the roughly 465 people in Maryland’s prisons that are over the age of 60 on parole, the state could save over $13 million in the first year.

“People can change, and that when they do, they should be given a chance to be productive members of society,” stated Walter M. Lomax, director of the Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative, which advocates for humane and sensible criminal justice and sentencing policies for individuals who are incarcerated long term in Maryland prisons. “These policies keep many people in prison, primarily African Americans, who simply do not pose a threat to society. This report is not advocating that Maryland be ‘soft on crime;’ it’s saying that Maryland can save money and do the right thing for people, their families, and their communities.”

The report also found that programs that emphasize support and service over a strict supervision modality are more effective, lowering recidivism rates for individuals in the project. Maryland’s Proactive Community Supervision project (PCS), in particular, provides tailored supervision to those in the program and participants have had fewer rearrests or drug test failures than those not in the program. Research indicates that PCS is significantly more likely to keep people out of prison than people who are released under traditional parole terms; however, to date, the state has only used PCS on a very limited basis. Bringing PCS to scale in the entire state would reducing the number of people returning to prison from parole, resulting in a potential savings of approximately $19 million, which includes the cost of enrolling everyone on probation or parole in PCS.

This state-specific report echoes many of the findings for the recently released “One in 31: The Long Reach of American Corrections” by the Pew Center on the States. This report indicated that 8.2% of Maryland’s general fund is spent on corrections, higher than any of its neighboring states of Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware or Pennsylvania.

“Clearly, community corrections is an important issue right now on a national level,” added Velázquez. “Maryland has an opportunity to expand on some of their early parole reform efforts and become a leader in this area.”

Other key recommendations of the report include:

Increase utilization of a risk assessment instrument: Maryland uses risk assessments in some of their decision-making processes. However, increased use for medical parole, paroling older people in prison, and discharging people from probation or parole may increase availability and lower the number of people on supervision.

Make parole services more accessible: Parole offices are often far from the homes of the people who have to check in. Not only does it become a challenge for people on parole to successfully make every appointment, the parole officers are not familiar with the particular assets, challenges, and culture of the communities in which individuals reside.

Match supervision with needs and risks: Currently, many parole officers meet with the individuals who are facing significant obstacles to re-entry for relatively infrequently and short amounts of time. Conversely, people who are successful on parole should be able to get on with their lives. Reporting for parole should be retooled so that there is more “quality time” for people who will benefit from it, and less unnecessary “face time” for those who don’t.

Institute early release for parole: Research shows that people who haven’t violated their conditions of parole for a long period of time are unlikely to commit new crimes. People on parole therefore should be able to shave time off their period of parole through good behavior and participation in education, employment, or other services. Not only would this system serve as an incentive, it would also reduce the amount of time that a person is under supervision, thus lowering costs and opportunities for a person to return to prison on a technical violation.

Involve the individual on parole: Individuals should be engaged in the creation of their supervision plans and in any process of changing their plan.

Parole boards should make evidence-based decisions: Parole boards should utilize available tools, such as risk assessment instruments, to curb their tendency to hold people in prison who could be safely paroled to the community. This would increase the number of older people and those with serious medical conditions, as well as others who are at low risk for recidivism.

Research and evaluation: If changes to parole systems are implemented, those changes must be rigorously evaluated for effectiveness and impact. In addition, more research must be done to determine which conditions of parole are related to public safety, and which merely interfere with a person on parole’s ability to live successfully in the community.

For more information on The Release Valve, contact JPI Executive Director Tracy Velázquez at 202-288-2722 or Communications Director LaWanda Johnson at 202-558-7974, ext. 308.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: LaWanda Johnson
(202) 558-7974 x308
202-320-1029

Innovative advocate and agent for change to become
the new executive director of the Justice Policy Institute

January 12, 2009

Washington, DC--The Justice Policy Institute (JPI), a national public policy institute dedicated to ending society's reliance on incarceration and promoting effective solutions to social problems, announced today that Tracy Velázquez will become its new Executive Director. Velázquez is most recently Senior Program Associate at the Vera Institute of Justice’s Center on Sentencing and Corrections.

The transition will take place on January 12, 2009, when the current executive director, Sheila Bedi, plans to return to justice reform advocacy in the South.

“Under Sheila’s leadership, JPI has continued its work in highlighting the negative consequences associated with society’s reliance on incarceration. We are grateful for Sheila’s tireless work and the energy she has put into JPI. We wish her the best in her future endeavors,” said JPI Board President David Fathi. "We are also very excited to welcome Tracy as the new executive director at JPI. Her research and advocacy experience and dynamic leadership abilities made her the best choice to lead JPI."

“I am excited to join the Justice Policy Institute,” said Velázquez.  “Spending billions of dollars to incarcerate millions of people has long been a losing strategy.  I’m optimistic that with state and federal budgets stretched thin, policymakers will begin to critically examine these failed and expensive policies that are neither just nor economically justifiable.” Velázquez added, “With one in a hundred Americans now behind bars and Washington on the cusp of a change agenda, it is time once again for JPI to show there are far better ways than mass incarceration to improve public safety and strengthen our nation’s communities.”  

Velázquez is a passionate advocate and committed progressive who has been a long-time agent for change in a number of policy arenas. She is the former executive director of the Montana Mental Health Association, where she worked with policymakers to secure additional funding for mental health and suicide prevention and to reduce the criminalization of people with mental illness.  Through the media, she and her agency raised awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one of the top disabilities facing returning Iraq veterans. Prior to that, she co-founded and managed Commonweal Consulting, a consulting firm providing strategic capacity-building services to non-profits and public agencies. Velázquez also ran for U.S. Congress and served as Vice Chair of the Montana Democratic Party. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and a master of public administration degree from Montana State University.

During her tenure at Vera, Velázquez was involved in several projects to improve the systems people rely on for justice.  She assisted New Jersey policymakers in developing a new model to expand diversion of people with substance abuse problems involved in the criminal justice system. Her research report, “The Pursuit of Safety,” examines sex offense policies and their impacts in the United States.  Velázquez also worked with the New York State Division of Parole to implement evidence-based supervision practices that will improve the success rates of people re-entering the community from prison. 

Since 1997, the Justice Policy Institute has used research, policy analysis, and strategic communications to enhance the public dialog on incarceration.  Lawmakers, media, advocates, systems reformers, and the general public rely on JPI's timely analyses. Over the last decade, JPI has published more than four dozen policy reports exploring the negative impact that incarceration has on government budgets, communities, and individuals.