Criminal Justice (Adult)

With nearly 2.4 million people incarcerated, the United States is home to the world’s highest incarceration rate. In total, 7 million people are under some form of correctional supervision, and a disproportionate number of these are people of color. With many policies driven by a desire to punish rather than knowledge of what improves community safety, and politics and profit playing an increasing role, the criminal justice system costs too much, doesn’t work, and isn’t fair.

Here, you can find JPI reports, briefs and factsheets on the adult criminal justice system and policies, practices and alternatives to the justice system-based solutions to social problems.

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Measured Responses: Why increasing law enforcement in schools is not an effective public safety response to the Newtown tragedy: Dec 22, 2012; In light of the horrific school shootings this month in Newtown, Connecticut, some have called for increasing armed police presence in schools. School safety should be a priority: it is not only…
Drop in Crime Continues in the U.S.: Nov 1, 2012; Crime continues to drop throughout the United States, according to the full 2011 Uniform Crime Report released by the FBI on October 29, 2012. The Justice Policy Institute (JPI), a Washington, D.C.…
JPI Bail Report Series: Oct 5, 2012; JPI published three reports on the U.S. bail system in an effort to raise public awareness on an issue that is not often highlighted -- and one that most people do not fully understand.
Bailing on Baltimore: Voices from the Front Lines of the Justice System: Jean Chung, Sep 26, 2012; Third report in the series on bail that connects the first two quantitative reports on money bail and the for-profit bail industry to the actual experiences of people who have been involved in the…
For Better or For Profit: How the Bail Bonding Industry Stands in the Way of Fair and Effective Pretrial Justice: Spike Bradford, Sep 18, 2012; Second in series on bail recommends the U.S. should end for-profit bail bonding; promote and further institutionalize pretrial services; and require greater transparency within the industry.
Bail Fail: Why the U.S. Should End the Practice of Using Money for Bail: Melissa Neal, Justice Policy Institute, Sep 11, 2012; JPI's newest analysis shows that the practice of using money to decide release while awaiting trial unfairly impacts low-income communities.
United States Continuing to Overspend on Police, Despite Decreasing Crime Rates: Justice Policy Institute, May 22, 2012; Although crime rates are at the lowest they have been in over 30 years, the number of arrests has declined only slightly between 2009 and 20102 and the U.S. still spends more than $100 billion on…
Wrong Track for Savings: How Florida’s prison population became a runaway train, and why better policies, not private prisons, can put the brakes on correctional costs: Justice Policy Institute, Feb 7, 2012; How Florida’s prison population became a runaway train, and why better policies, not private prisons, can put the brakes on correctional costs
When Treatment is Punishment: The Effects of Maryland's Incompetency to Stand Trial Policies and Practices: Nastassia Walsh, Justice Policy Institute, Oct 12, 2011; Incompetency to stand trial policies in Marlyand unfairly confine people without a conviction or a guilty verdict.
Crime, Incarceration Down in 2010: Justice Policy Institute, Sep 19, 2011; According to FBI Uniform Crime report data released today, violent and property crimes are down across the country while states are reducing prison populations.
Gaming the System: How the Political Strategies of Private Prison Companies Promote Ineffective Incarceration Policies: Paul Ashton, Justice Policy Institute, Jun 22, 2011; Report examining how private prison companies wield influence over legislators and policy, ultimately resulting in harsher criminal justice policies and the incarceration of more people.
Due South: Looking to the South for Criminal Justice Innovations: Justice Policy Institute, May 24, 2011; Recognizing the significant costs associated with high incarceration rates, a number of Southern states have implemented innovative strategies for reducing prison and jail populations.
FBI: Crime Fell in 2010: Justice Policy Institute, May 23, 2011; According to the FBI's annual Uniform Crime Report, violent and property crime is down nationally. This comes at a time when state prison populations feel and states spent less money on corrections.
Creating the Roadmap for Reduction: Reducing the Number of Women in Prison in Alabama: Justice Policy Institute, Apr 27, 2011; This brief is a summary of the process that JPI used to develop recommendations and support their implementation, as well as a summary of how the recommendations worked to reduce the number of women…
Finding Direction: Expanding Criminal Justice Options by Considering Policies of Other Nations: Amanda Petteruti, Justice Policy Institute, Apr 20, 2011; Amidst a fiscal crisis and dropping crime rates, policymakers in the U.S. ought to consider looking outside its borders for examples of effective criminal justice policies.
Documentary: Blocking the Exit: Justice Policy Institute & Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative, Feb 24, 2011; A documentary to better understand the profound impact that requiring Governor approval of parole for lifers has had in Maryland.
Moving Toward a Public Safety Paradigm: A Roundtable Discussion on Victims and Criminal Justice Reform: Paul Ashton, Justice Policy Institute, Feb 2, 2011; This brief details a roundtable convened by JPI examining the role of victims in justice reform.
Fact Sheet on 2009 FBI Uniform Crime Report: Justice Policy Institute, Sep 14, 2010; Crime is down in all regions of the country, according to the full 2009 Uniform Crime Report released by the FBI on September 13, 2010. The Justice Policy Institute (JPI), a Washington, D.C. based…
Shifting the Problem: Fact Sheet on Proposed California Community Corrections Enhancement Act: Justice Policy Institute, Jun 24, 2010; California’s Prison Reduction Plan Will Overburden Counties; Misses the Mark. Shifting prison population to jails will increase costs and incarceration rates.
Baltimore Behind Bars: How to Reduce the Jail Population, Save Money and Improve Public Safety: Justice Policy Institute, Jun 8, 2010; Research highlights the factors and policies that lead to over-incarceration, makes recommendations on how the justice system can be improved.
For Immediate Release: How to Safely Reduce Prison Populations and Support People Returning to Their Communities: Justice Policy Institute, Jun 2, 2010; Reducing prison populations and maintaining public safety can both be accomplished while allowing state taxpayers to save money with more effective programs, group says.
Factsheet on 2009 FBI Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report: Justice Policy Institute, May 24, 2010; Drop in crime comes as states seek ways to reduce prison populations and improve savings for state budgets.
Fact Sheet: DOJ Report on Prisoners in 2008: Justice Policy Institute, Dec 11, 2009; The Department of Justice released its annual survey of prisons this week, reporting that more than 1.6 million people are currently incarcerated in a federal or state prison. The report shows that…
Fact Sheet: Response to 2008 FBI Uniform Crime Report (Full): Justice Policy Institute, Sep 15, 2009; The full 2008 FBI Uniform Crime Report was released Monday, September 14, 2009 with the positive news that the United States experienced a 1.9 percent decline in violent crimes and a 0.8 percent…
Bearing Witness: Baltimore City’s Residents Give Voice: Apr 1, 2009; Bearing Witness is the culmination of interviews with people from Baltimore City about their experiences with the criminal justice system. Compared to the rest of Maryland, Baltimore City faces a…

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