Corrections
The possibility of parole: A powerful incentive that makes us all safer
COMMENTARY | Researchers have found that offenders incarcerated under truth-in-sentencing laws racked up more disciplinary infractions and engaged in fewer rehabilitation programs. And after release, they were much more likely to reoffend.
Pretrial diversion programs are effective. And expensive for participants.
Courts often charge high fees for people to get into programs that allow them to avoid prison. Alabama's Jefferson County is trying a different approach.
‘The world is watching.’ Alabama executes inmate using nitrogen gas
The state opted for the method following a botched execution of the same inmate in 2022. Two more states have since adopted the until now never tried method.
To put a dent in opioid addiction, start with the corrections system
Pilot programs have offered incarcerated individuals medications for opioid use disorder, but now it’s time to start expanding those programs for long-term success, observers say.
States and localities in 2023: A look at the top stories of the year
The first half of the year was marked by the end of pandemic-era benefits. The second half was dominated by the shutdown. All the while, leaders were preoccupied with infrastructure, technology and flags.
County cuts recidivism with juvenile justice diversion programs
King County, Washington, is pushing counseling and diversion programs and considering closing its juvenile detention facility.
Graying prisons face accelerating health care needs
Rapidly growing numbers of older inmates with diabetes, dementia and liver disease are forcing states to reevaluate early release policies and the social safety nets that might prevent incarceration.
‘IGNITE’ing an educational fire in U.S. jails
An initiative launched in a Michigan county jail has been embraced as a national model for reducing jail violence and inmate recidivism.
The nation’s biggest public union wants to help fix the workforce shortage
The group has launched a listening tour and has already received feedback from state and local workers on what governments can do to attract and retain employees.
A Model for Reducing Female Incarceration and Breaking the Generational Cycle
A program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been changing lives for addicted women and their children. Here’s how it works.
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Bail Reform Faces Backlash
New York rolled back key parts of its 2019 bail reform law amid fears of rising crime. Those concerns are echoed in communities nationwide—especially in places forging ahead with their own laws—despite data that shows bail reforms don't negatively impact public safety. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.
Reducing the Staggering Backlog of Court Cases
COMMENTARY | State and local leaders can tackle the massive backlog of criminal cases by expanding pretrial services, transforming indigent defense and embracing restorative justice processes.
Death Penalty Used Sparingly by States in 2020 Amid Pandemic
States suspended executions due to the coronavirus outbreak and put just 7 people to death this year. Meanwhile, federal executions resumed for the first time in 17 years.
Inside the Covid Unit at the World’s Largest Women’s Prison
The Central California Women’s Facility quarantined prisoners with Covid-19 with those who never tested positive for the virus.
Family Members Raise Concerns as Florida Inmate Deaths Rise
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | "Pooled testing" could speed up results ... Minneapolis council votes to get rid of police PIO ... Los Angeles County sheriff slammed for sexist statement.
The Prison Was Built to Hold 1,500 Inmates. It Had Over 2,000 Coronavirus Cases.
Prison overcrowding has been quietly tolerated for decades. But the pandemic is forcing a reckoning.
‘Prisons Are Bacteria Factories’; Elderly Most at Risk
“You’re going to see devastation that’s unbelievable.”
This State Has Figured Out How to Treat Drug-Addicted Inmates
More jails and prisons are starting to offer medication-assisted treatment for inmates addicted to opioids. But it's available at just a very small fraction of correctional facilities across the country.
The Human Cost of Missing Data in Prisons
COMMENTARY | Nowhere is good information about operations more critical than in prisons and jails. But too often states simply lack the kind of data that holds officials accountable.
California’s Jails Are in a Deadly Crisis. Here’s How Experts Suggest Fixing Them.
An investigation by McClatchy and ProPublica found unchecked violence and inhumane conditions in county jails, but the state’s oversight agency has no power to stop it. Experts say that needs to change.
