Safe Communities, Fair Sentences
America’s criminal justice system should keep communities safe, treat people fairly, and use fiscal resources wisely. But more Americans are deprived of their liberty than ever before - unfairly and unnecessarily, with no benefit to public safety.
Especially in the face of economic crisis, our government should invest in alternatives to incarceration and make prisons options of last – not first – resort.
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Our criminal justice system should keep communities safe and treat people fairly, regardless of the color of their skin or the size of their bank account. And in order for our system to do a good job, it must be cost-effective by using our taxpayer dollars and public resources wisely. More»
It is un-American to stand idly by and tolerate our government locking up so many people, treating racial and ethnic minorities unfairly and squandering public resources. More»
Especially in the face of fiscal crises, state governments are making smart investments in alternatives to mass incarceration. The ACLU’s unique and powerful network of state affiliate offices has been working on the frontlines to reduce the number of people behind bars while saving taxpayer dollars. More»
Breaking the Addiction to Incarceration: Weekly Highlights
Across the country, the criminal justice reform conversation is heating up. Each week, we feature our some of the most exciting and relevant news in overincarceration discourse that we’ve spotted from the previous week. More»
Safe Communities, Fair Sentences: Latest News and Updates>>
Additional Resources
Ending Mass Incarceration: Charting a New Justice Reinvestment (2013 PDF): This paper, authored by a group of researchers, analysts, and advocates dedicated to ending mass incarceration in the United States, traces the history and examines the impact of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) as spearheaded by the Council of State Governments and its principal funders, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. While the JRI has played a significant role in softening the ground for criminal justice reform, it has not made significant reductions in the correctional populations or costs in most of the states in which it has worked.
Mass Incarceration Problems (2011 PDF): Our criminal justice system should keep communities safe and treat people fairly, regardless of the color of their skin or the size of their bank account. And in order for our system to do a good job, it must be cost-effective by using our taxpayer dollars and public resources wisely.
[Infographic] Combating Mass Incarceration - The Facts (2011 infographic): An Infographic on Mass Incarceration: America’s criminal justice system should keep communities safe, treat people fairly, and use fiscal resources wisely. But more Americans are deprived of their liberty than ever before - unfairly and unnecessarily, with no benefit to public safety. Especially in the face of economic crisis, our government should invest in alternatives to incarceration and make prisons options of last – not first – resort.
Smart Reform Is Possible: States Reducing Incarceration Rates and Costs While Protecting Communities (2011 report): Since President Richard Nixon first announced the "War on Drugs" 40 years ago, the United States has adopted "tough on crime" criminal justice policies that have given it the dubious distinction of having the highest incarceration rate in the world.
Breaking the Addiction to Incarceration: Weekly Highlights (2011 blog)
At America's Expense: The Mass Incarceration of the Elderly (2012 Report): Elderly prisoners are twice as expensive to incarcerate as the average prisoner and pose little danger to society, yet the population of elderly prisoners in the United States is exploding. Our extreme sentencing policies and a growing number of life sentences have effectively turned many of our correctional facilities into veritable nursing homes — and taxpayers are paying for it.
