ADVOCACY INSIDER
Want to stay in-the-know on advocacy and criminal justice reform? Read on for news and updates.Crime in America by the Numbers
The relationship between crime and imprisonment is complex, so it can be difficult to know if the biblical value of proportional punishment is being practiced. Here’s what recent research shows us:
Higher incarceration does not result in lower crime rates. Experts estimate that only 25 percent of the decrease in crime is a result of imprisonment. Other factors like better policing and favorable economic trends account for the other 75 percent of the decrease in crime rates across the country. Today, Oklahoma’s imprisonment rate is nearly double North Carolina’s, but both have similar crime rates.
States have reduced incarceration and crime since 2008.Between 2008 and 2016, the nation’s imprisonment rate fell 11 percent while the combined violent and property crime rate declined by 23 percent. Thirty-five states achieved a simultaneous decrease in crime and imprisonment rates. A similar situation occurred in the youth justice system where the number of youths in residential facilities whose cases have been decided fell by more than 50 percent, while the number of youth arrests decreased by 42 percent.
More proportional sentences do not result in more crime. Research reveals that the risk of recidivism for an incarcerated individual declines over the course of their sentence. Their probability of re-arrest will eventually be lower than that of a first-time arrest for individuals their same age in the general population. An analysis of one type of reform showed that raising the dollar threshold at which theft becomes a felony did not impact property crime rates in the 30 states adopting such reforms since 2001.
Prison Fellowship® Releases New Resource on Youth Justice
This week, Prison Fellowship released an overview of the youth justice system in the U.S. The youth justice system began with the establishment of facilities in major cities for housing, educating, and rehabilitating youth. While the tough-on-crime era resulted in many young people being convicted as adults and an increased youth arrest rate, states have recently returned to methods that prioritize rehabilitation. An estimated 2,500 young people per every 100,000 are arrested each year. This year, Prison Fellowship is seeking youth justice reform in Alabama, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia alongside other faith leaders who want to see their state justice systems reflect the God-given dignity and potential of its youngest citizens.
Prison Fellowship Highlights Incarcerated Women
Women are the fastest-growing segment of the United States’ prison population. More than 200,000 women are incarcerated, representing 7 percent of prisoners. Today more than 1 million women are under some supervision by the criminal justice system. Female prisoners’ physical, emotional, and psychological needs set them apart as a distinct prison population that warrants careful attention. Prison Fellowship’s Senior State Campaign Manager, Kate Trammell, was honored to be on a recent panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference discussing the need to treat women in our justice system with dignity. For more information, check out our resources on women in prison and the needs of female prisoners.
Prison Fellowship seeks to advance reforms that recognize the dignity and value of every human life. Join us in advocating for justice that restores!Learn More About Us →
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