Positive Social Investments

Rather than putting money into prisons and the criminal justice system, communities would benefit from stronger education systems, job training, youth-oriented programs, and other community-based initiatives. Investments in programs and services like these can prevent justice involvement, improve community well-being and save money in the long run.

Here, you can find JPI reports, briefs and factsheets discussing where scarce taxpayer dollars are best spent to support people and communities.

The Education of D.C.: How Washington D.C.’s investments in education can help increase public safety.: Paul Ashton, Justice Policy Institute, Feb 15, 2012; This brief examines the intersection of education and public safety in Washington, D.C.
When More is Less: How a Larger Women’s Jail in Baltimore will Reduce Public Safety and Diminish Resources for Positive Social Investments: Nastassia Walsh, Justice Policy Institute, Jan 5, 2011; Despite declines in the number of women held in the Baltimore City Detention Center, Maryland is planning to build a large, new women’s facility.
Public Safety Brief: Housing and Public Safety: Justice Policy Institute, Nov 1, 2007; Studies found that substandard housing—particularly where exposure to lead hazards is more likely to occur—is associated with higher violent crime rates.
Employment, Wages and Public Safety: Justice Policy Institute, Sep 30, 2007; Increased employment is associated with positive public safety outcomes. Researchers have found that from 1992 to 1997, a time when the unemployment rate dropped 33 percent, "slightly more than 40…
Education and Public Safety Policy Brief: Justice Policy Institute, Aug 29, 2007; Graduation rates were associated with positive public safety outcomes. Researchers have found that a 5 percent increase in male high school graduation rates would produce an annual savings of almost…
Effective Investments in Public Safety: Drug Treatment: Justice Policy Institute, Feb 2, 2007; Whereas in 1980 only about 8% of federal and state prisoners were incarcerated for a drug offense, in 2003, 55 percent of the federal prison population and 20 percent of prisoners in state facilities…
Effective Investments in Public Safety: Education: Justice Policy Institute, Feb 2, 2007; There is evidence that suggests that education and graduation rates may relate to crime rates, and this new research comes at a time when education programs are receiving less and less funding, and…
Effective Investments in Public Safety: Mass Incarceration and Longer Sentences Fail to Make Us Safer: Justice Policy Institute, Feb 2, 2007; Places that did not increase their use of incarceration as much as others experienced bigger drops in crime.
Effective Investments in Public Safety: Unemployment, Wages, and the Crime Rate: Justice Policy Institute, Feb 2, 2007; Research studies focusing on unemployment rates and market wages have found relationships with the crime rate in the United States.
Education and Incarceration: Bruce Western, Vincent Schiraldi & Jason Ziedenberg, Aug 1, 2003; As of May, 2003, 21 states were considering proposals that would affect funding levels for K-12 education including across the board cuts, reducing transportation funds, slashing state aid for…
Is Maryland's System of Higher Education Suffering Because of Prison Expenditures?: Vincent Schiraldi, Jun 1, 2003; In a state which ranks fifth in the country in per capita wealth, Maryland's expenditures on higher education are not even in the top half of American states. In fact, in 1997, Maryland ranked 33rd…
Class Dismissed: Higher Education vs. Corrections During the Wilson Years: Dan Macallair, Khaled Taqi-Eddin and Vincent Schiraldi, Nov 3, 1998; An increase in funding for Higher Education represents a step in the right direction, but this is an unusual year in that California had a 4 billion-dollar surplus at the end of the 1997-1998 budget.
From Classrooms to Cell Blocks: A National Perspective: Tara-Jen Ambrosio and Vincent Schiraldi, Jan 1, 1997; Americans will soon be forced to spend their tax-free education funds on an ineffective, costly criminal justice system.

Stay Connected