What's behind the increase of older inmates in the state prison system?
Experts point to everything from aging baby boomers and longer life spans to overall prison population growth and a trend toward stiffer sentences.
"Lifers" make up a sizable portion of the elderly state prison population, said Dr. Larry Rosenberg, a Millersville University assistant professor of sociology who teaches a course on modern corrections.
The elderly prison population also includes repeat offenders incarcerated after their "third strike" and inmates serving long sentences for crimes committed in their 40s and 50s, he said. Read more...
Monday, November 28, 2011
Panel recommends reforms to stem prison spending
Shortening sentences for some nonviolent offenses and creating a statewide network of accountability courts could help prevent Georgia taxpayers from spending more than $250 million to accommodate an expanding prison population, a state panel said Friday.
The Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform said changes are needed to control the unimpeded growth in state prison spending, which has doubled over the past two decades to $1.05 billion a year. The panel noted the growth is being fueled by drug and property offenders who account for about 60 percent of all prison admissions.
The council noted more than 3,200 offenders enter prison on a drug possession conviction each year and two-thirds of these inmates have been found to be low risks to offend again. Read more...
The Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform said changes are needed to control the unimpeded growth in state prison spending, which has doubled over the past two decades to $1.05 billion a year. The panel noted the growth is being fueled by drug and property offenders who account for about 60 percent of all prison admissions.
The council noted more than 3,200 offenders enter prison on a drug possession conviction each year and two-thirds of these inmates have been found to be low risks to offend again. Read more...
Shifting prisoners to counties could strain local services
California needs to pay attention to potential strains on county services as it implements Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to shift nonviolent criminals and parolees to counties, a RAND Corp. study says.
The study [PDF], “Understanding the Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry in California,” released last week, said the plan to shift low-level offenders to county custody could strain local health care and social services programs that already have been ravaged by budget cuts.
California began sending low-level felony offenders and parole violators to county jails on Oct. 1.
“There’s no turning back,” Brown said at a Sept. 29 press conference. “The only way is forward in a collaborative way.” Read more...
The study [PDF], “Understanding the Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry in California,” released last week, said the plan to shift low-level offenders to county custody could strain local health care and social services programs that already have been ravaged by budget cuts.
California began sending low-level felony offenders and parole violators to county jails on Oct. 1.
“There’s no turning back,” Brown said at a Sept. 29 press conference. “The only way is forward in a collaborative way.” Read more...
Probation Numbers Down, Parolees Up Slightly in 2010: BJS Survey
The number of adult offenders on probation or parole declined by 1.3 percent last year, dropping to 4.9 million, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics said today. It was the second consecutive year of decline in the number of adults under community supervision. At year's end, about 1 in every 48 adults in the U.S. was on probation or parole. The number of adult probationers declined for the second consecutive year to nearly 4.1 million but the number of parolees increased to 840,700.
The failure rate of parolees-the percentage who were returned to incarceration at some point during the year-decreased over the decade. During 2010, about 13 percent of parolees were reincarcerated at some time during the year, down from about 16 percent in 2000. About 5.7 percent of probationers were incarcerated at some point during 2010, nearly unchanged since 2000 (5.5 percent). Read more...
The failure rate of parolees-the percentage who were returned to incarceration at some point during the year-decreased over the decade. During 2010, about 13 percent of parolees were reincarcerated at some time during the year, down from about 16 percent in 2000. About 5.7 percent of probationers were incarcerated at some point during 2010, nearly unchanged since 2000 (5.5 percent). Read more...
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Harlem reentry court: One parolee's experience
The Harlem Community Justice Center helps parolees make the transition from life in prison to responsible citizenship
By The Center for Court Innovation
A number of challenges exist for a parolee just leaving prison, and the newfound freedom of a parolee can be overwhelming. The Harlem Community Justice Center helps parolees make the transition from life in prison to responsible citizenship.
About a week before Debra left prison, she learned that she would be part of a new reentry program involving frequent court appearances and participation in a drug treatment program, among other activities. Debra had never heard of parole reentry before. "At first I was really mad," she says. "I had never done parole in my life, but I knew you weren't supposed to go to court or in front of a judge. I was really angry that I had to go every week."
Six months later, she completed the program and had an entirely new perspective: "Putting me in the parole reentry program was the best thing they ever could have done for me and my life," she says. "I think they should put more people in it. If you're coming home to do the right thing, it's the place to be." Read more...
By The Center for Court Innovation
A number of challenges exist for a parolee just leaving prison, and the newfound freedom of a parolee can be overwhelming. The Harlem Community Justice Center helps parolees make the transition from life in prison to responsible citizenship.
About a week before Debra left prison, she learned that she would be part of a new reentry program involving frequent court appearances and participation in a drug treatment program, among other activities. Debra had never heard of parole reentry before. "At first I was really mad," she says. "I had never done parole in my life, but I knew you weren't supposed to go to court or in front of a judge. I was really angry that I had to go every week."
Six months later, she completed the program and had an entirely new perspective: "Putting me in the parole reentry program was the best thing they ever could have done for me and my life," she says. "I think they should put more people in it. If you're coming home to do the right thing, it's the place to be." Read more...
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Parole Supervision Helps Cut Recidivism: Montana Study
In a study of Montana ex-inmates, researchers found that offenders released early from prison without parole supervision are more likely to recidivate than those freed with parole supervision. Kevin A. Wright of Arizona State University and Jeffrey W. Rosky of the University of Central Florida believe that offenders who are released early are more likely to recidivate because they are not adequately prepared for reentry into the community. The study was published in Criminology & Public Policy, which is available only by subscription or to members of the American Society of Criminology.
Montana offenders released from prison on traditional parole supervision are required to have a detailed parole plan that includes housing and employment. The authors argue that given current pressures on correctional systems to reduce their budgets, it is unwise to do away with early release procedures. They say attention should be paid to the transition between prison and community reentry. In the same issue, Faye Taxman of George Mason University and Susan Turner of the University of California, Irvine, argue that correctional practitioners should look beyond the basic risk-assessment model of release and focus more on a client-centered approach, like the healthcare field. Journalists who want access to the papers should send a message to tgest@sas.upenn.edu. Read more...
Montana offenders released from prison on traditional parole supervision are required to have a detailed parole plan that includes housing and employment. The authors argue that given current pressures on correctional systems to reduce their budgets, it is unwise to do away with early release procedures. They say attention should be paid to the transition between prison and community reentry. In the same issue, Faye Taxman of George Mason University and Susan Turner of the University of California, Irvine, argue that correctional practitioners should look beyond the basic risk-assessment model of release and focus more on a client-centered approach, like the healthcare field. Journalists who want access to the papers should send a message to tgest@sas.upenn.edu. Read more...
Monday, November 7, 2011
APAI Business Plan Updated and Available Online
Over the last several months, the Executive Committee has been working on updating the APAI Business Plan. After many hours of discussion, it has now been updated and can be found on our website HERE!
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