AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS: JPI Executive Director Marc Schindler and Unger releasee Stanley Mitchell (all day Thursday 12/6) Anthony Dixon, Parole Preparation Project and Release Aging People in Prison Elizabeth Gaynes, Osborne Association President and CEO Jose Saldana, Organizer, Release Aging People in Prison

WHO: Justice Policy Institute, Center for Justice at Columbia, Release Aging People from Prison, Osborne Association, Columbia Justice Lab

WHEN: Thursday, December 6, 2018 | 6-8:30 PM

WHERE: Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive | Room 540

WHAT: Advocates and direct service providers will examine the effects of lengthy and life sentences in Maryland, New York, and across the country; look at effective efforts to release more people and their successful reentry; and discuss critical legislative and policy proposals ahead of the 2019 legislative session. “The Ungers are a natural experiment in reentry for the elderly incarcerated people,” said JPI Executive Director Marc Schindler.

“We know that most people age out of crime, and that’s been supported by what we’ve seen here; with 188 people released over 5 years, there has been a less than three percent recidivism rate. Policymakers across the country should be heeding these lessons learned, and can feel comfortable in reducing sentence lengths and releasing older individuals who can be safely returned to the community, saving taxpayers millions in the process.”

Justice Long Overdue will include a discussion of JPI’s new report, The Ungers, 5 Years and Counting: A Case Study in Safely Reducing Long Prison Terms and Saving Taxpayer Dollars. Following the decision, 188 people have been safely released to the community, with a projected savings of $185 million for Maryland taxpayers in the first year alone.

JPI is grateful to the Abell Foundation for their funding of The Ungers, 5 Years and Counting report, and to the Open Society Institute-Baltimore for their support of JPI’s work on its Unger initiative and parole reform in Maryland. 

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The Justice Policy Institute, based in Washington, DC, is dedicated to reducing the use of incarceration and the justice system by promoting fair and effective policies.