FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Paul Ashton Phone: 202-558-7974 ext. 304 Email: [email protected] W ashington, DC – A nearly decade-long failure of the Bowser Administration to fund and implement evidence-based strategies to prevent violence and strengthen communities has contributed to the context for increased crime and violence. A new policy brief by the Justice Policy Institute, Missed Opportunities: Why Inaction on Preventative Measures Undermines Public Safety in Washington, DC, found that a lack of leadership on proactive public safety strategies, instability in key executive agencies, and little coordination of efforts by … Continued

The Justice Policy Institute applauds President Biden’s decision to issue a mass pardon to anyone with a federal conviction for marijuana possession. The enforcement of marijuana possession laws is clearly an issue of fairness and racial justice. Data show that white, Black, and Brown people use marijuana at similar rates; however, people who are Black and Brown are treated more harshly at every point in the criminal legal system. For example, Black people are nearly four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than are white people. The … Continued

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 20, 2022 –  As the Maryland General Assembly prepares to consider a bill establishing clear standards for compassionate release for people who are incarcerated, the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) has released an important new policy paper on compassionate release in Maryland. Compassionate release, an umbrella term for medical and geriatric parole, is essential to the humane functioning of correctional and justice systems. JPI’s policy paper comes at a time when those living within prison walls have seen their health disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, an ongoing … Continued