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New Report: 17 States Enacted Criminal Justice Reform in 2008

Submitted by dguard on

[Courtesy of The Sentencing Project] 

 

A new report by The Sentencing Project highlights 17 states that enacted sentencing and corrections reforms in 2008. The State of Sentencing 2008: Developments in Policy and Practice finds that a nationwide budget crisis coupled with widespread prison overcrowding has led many states to address critical challenges in the areas of sentencing, drug policy, parole revocation, racial justice, felony disenfranchisement, juvenile justice, and higher education in prison.
 
Highlights from the report include:

  • Arizona established a probation revocation and crime reduction performance incentive system to encourage counties to reduce commitments to prison.
  • Kentucky amended parole release policies and expanded home incarceration for persons convicted of certain offenses, created a committee to study the state's penal code and made recommendations for reform, and rescinded certain requirements for persons seeking to have voting rights restored after the completion of sentence.
  • Mississippi amended parole release policies, and expanded eligibility for compassionate release.
In the report, The Sentencing Project urges state policymakers and practitioners to reconsider sentencing policies that result in lengthy terms of incarceration; invest in strategies proven to reduce recidivism; and expand diversion and treatment programs beyond first-time and non-violent offenders.
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