A "Golden Opportunity" For Smart Criminal Justice Reforms?

The current political and fiscal climate presents a "golden opportunity" for smart criminal justice reforms, James Burch, acting director of the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance, told the National Committee on Community Corrections yesterday in Washington, D.C. The committee, a coalition of interest groups and corrections professionals, met in a session hosted by the Pew Center on the States Public Safety Performance Project.

Burch suggested that the relative lack of government dollars could be an advantage, forcing states and localities to be creative and not depend on the federal government for support. His agency supports the "Justice Reinvestment Initiative," which seeks ways to incarcerate fewer people and reinvest the cost savings on programs that do better at preventing recidivism. "This may be the most promising initiative [our agency] has going," Burch said. Pat Nolan of the Justice Fellowship spoke about the new "Right on Crime" campaign, in which conservatives are urging "most cost-effective approaches that enhance public safety." Nolan said the campaign so far has not targeted election officials for endorsements but said that some of its principles have been embraced by newly elected or incumbent governors in states like Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, and New York. Noting that new New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, backs justice reforms that save money, Nolan said the "right on crime" principles are "not captive of one party."