The title of this post is the title of this notable new report authored by Elizabeth Berger with the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation (which is also discussed at length in this Crime & Consequences post). Here is an excerpt from the report’s executive summary:
The Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) is a federal initiative, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, designed to help states reduce prison populations and improve public safety. Through grant funding, states are encouraged to implement and expand strategies, such as diversion programs, rehabilitation, and alternatives to incarceration. The initiative seeks to incentivize states to adopt reforms that reduce prison spending, which can then be reinvested into public safety measures, such as community supervision, housing, and education.
The concept of justice reinvestment emerged as a response to the growth in incarceration in the United States. The goals of the JRI are ambitious: it aims to reduce prison populations, allocate resources more efficiently, and enhance public safety concurrently. While rooted in well-intentioned goals, there is a growing concern that the initiative overemphasizes reducing incarceration while overlooking the impact on recidivism and public safety.
There is limited peer-reviewed evidence supporting the success of JRI. While some states have seen decreases in their prison populations, this outcome is not universal. Furthermore, key outcomes related to public safety — such as recidivism and crime rates — remain underexplored or unaddressed in most reports, even though they are central goals of the initiative….
Despite numerous reports of “success,” closer scrutiny reveals that JRI is falling short of its stated goals. This paper will examine examples from various states to demonstrate how JRI reforms have not consistently achieved their intended outcomes and, in some cases, may have negatively impacted public safety. We conclude by calling into question whether federal involvement is the best approach to reforming our criminal justice system. Until clearer evidence of the JRI’s long-term impact on recidivism and public safety is provided, it may be time to reconsider our options.