Sentencing Reforms

The Sentencing Project released their report this month on how we are changing directions in response to our overburdened prison populations.

The Sentencing Project has released a new study reporting growing momentum for sentencing reform designed to limit prison population growth and reduce ballooning corrections budgets in the United States.

Changing Direction? State Sentencing Reforms 2004-2006 finds that at least 22 states have enacted sentencing reforms in the past three years. The report further identifies that the most popular approach for reducing prison crowding -- implemented by 13 states -- was the diversion of low-level drug offenders from prison to drug treatment programs. Additional policy changes included:

• expansion of alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders;
• parole and probation reforms designed either to reduce time served in prison or to provide supervision options to reduce the number of revocations to prison;
• and broader sentencing reform, such as modifying controversial mandatory minimum sentencing laws.

Changing Direction? State Sentencing Reforms 2004-2006 argues that in order to build on these positive legislative developments, lawmakers must continue to enact evidence-based criminal justice policies.

Recommendations of The Sentencing Project urge that policymakers:

• expand the use of drug treatment as a sentencing option;
• utilize intermediate sanctions for technical violations of parole and probation;
• repeal mandatory minimum sentences;
• and reconsider sentence lengths.