BJA FY 14 Justice Reinvestment Initiative: Maximizing State Reforms

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Approximately 2.2 million people were incarcerated in federal, state, and local prisons and jails in 2012, a rate of 1 out of every 108 adults. The population declined for the fourth consecutive year, yet many state prison populations remain near all-time high levels. And despite the decline in population, state spending on corrections has remained high. Over the last 25 years, state corrections expenditures have increased exponentially—from $12 billion in 1988 to more than $53 billion estimated in 2013.2 Justice reinvestment emerged as a way to address these issues through a targeted, data-driven policymaking process. BJA, in a public/private partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts, launched the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) in 2010 as a multistaged process in which a jurisdiction increases the cost-effectiveness of its criminal justice system and reinvests savings into high-performing public safety strategies. Under the JRI model, a governmental working group with bipartisan and interbranch representation analyzes the correctional population and its costs, develops cost-effective policy options, and implements reforms to manage correctional populations while enhancing public safety. JRI jurisdictions reinvest these cost savings into high-performing initiatives that make communities safer. In addition to reducing prison populations, justice reinvestment encourages states to embrace a culture of greater collaboration, data-driven decisionmaking, and increased use of evidence-based practices.

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