The majority of people in jail are presumed innocent. Most are there for nonviolent offenses. Many are simply too poor to post bail. Our overuse of jails carries significant costs—to individuals, families, communities, and society at large. We need solutions to start where incarceration starts: in our nation’s jails.
The primary purpose of jails is to detain those awaiting trial who are a danger to public safety or a flight risk. But they now hold many who are neither, at exorbitant fiscal and social costs.
A total of 191 applications were submitted to the Challenge from jurisdictions spanning 45 states. Meet the 40 that were selected to participate in the Challenge Network.
“Several achievements were recognized, including the jail receiving accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care; its receiving a grant from the MacArthur Foundation to reduce recidivism in county jails; the addition of instructors to expand GED programs; the
“Unfortunately, recent studies show that even short stays in jail can spur a significant increase in a person’s likelihood to reoffend, while longer detentions correlate with even greater odds of recidivism.”
How @NBA @okcthunder owner Clay Bennett is working to #RethinkJails. https://t.co/95hsJna7nh via @NEWS9 https://t.co/mStdiADT7d
@thehill We must responsibly interpret crime statistics, and tailor our responses to violent crime to fit local nee… https://t.co/JG2yzHVRuc
