Learn More About the Benefits of Justice and Prison Reform
Justice for Randall aims to seek reform in the current judicial system. Our objective is to end harsh policies and unjust treatment by changing the system’s inefficiencies through effective justice and prison reforms.
Why Do We Need Justice Reform?
A total of 2.2 million people are currently incarcerated in the United States, with a rate of more than 700 for every 100,000 residents. On the other hand, 70 to 100 million Americans have a criminal record.
Without a clear definition of a crime, it is impossible to count the number of committed crimes that are recorded in the statistics. According to the latest tally, there are already more than 300,000 regulatory violations and 4,500 committed crimes.
These data can be skewed by the inclusion of the number of individuals who are pronounced guity under these violations, as they do not contain a mens rea or criminimal intent requirement. This applies even though the individual did not intend to commit a crime.
Civil asset forfeiture laws can incentivize law enforcement to act in ways that threaten the rights of innocent individuals. Mandatory minimum sentencing laws impose counterproductive punishments, especially to nonviolent offenders. There is a need to increase the state and federal budget to address the significant growth of incarceration cases.
The total expenditures for keeping a prisoner in jail for a year represents the third-largest spending category for most states, covering more than 20 percent of the Department of Justice’s budget. However, they spend more than dollars and cents for incarceration.
The additional civil state policies and collateral consequences impose difficulty for ex-offenders to re-enter society. Regardless of their expertise and experience, they may be barred from performing certain jobs due to the consequences of occupational licensing laws. Employers are discouraged to hire ex-convicts because of their criminal records.
Despite the overall decrease in the overall crime rate, less than one-third of that is due to the increased incarceration rates. The United States continue to identify the gaps in research, determine policy solutions, and resist reforms.
Why Do We Need Prison Reform?
One remedy to solve the inefficiency of our justice system is through prison reform. Those who are heavily affected by crimes will benefit from the constructive culture that we want to create within our prison system. A prison reform is necessary to reduce the consequences of needless incareceretation while encouraging personal responsibility and self-control.
How Can We Achieve Our Goals Through Prison Reform?
There are two ways to successfully achieve and implement this reform. First, individuals must have access to programs and job training, which will equip them with knowledge, skills, and positive values. Second, we need to revise correctional policies to ensure that minimal barriers exist to maintain positive community relationships. Our goal is to help them reach their full potential once they return to their respective communities.
Effects of Evidence-Based Prison Programming
Recidivism or the tendency of a person to repeat an undesirable behavior can be reduced through evidence-based prison programming. It can potentially save taxpayer expenditures, increase employment opportunities for incarcerated individuals, and decrease rule violations in prison facilities.
Prison Reform Statistics Showing Positive Results
Figures show that when applied, these reforms reduce re-incarnation incidents. The statistics are shown below for your reference:
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Misconduct incidents are reduced by 22 percent due to mental health support in prison.
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Substance abuse treatment in one California prison lowered re-incarceration cases to 48 percent.
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Enrolling in a holistic faith-based program reduced re-incarceration by 40 percent.
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Educational and vocational classes have reduced recidivism by 13 percent, lowered incident reports by four percent, and increased post-release employment by 13 percent.
For every taxpayer dollar spent on educational and vocational training programs for prisoners, law enforcement and corrections entities save five dollars on future expenditures.
This enables incarcerated individuals to secure employment and avoid committing crimes in the future. Improved prison programming will ensure safer communities, increase economic growth, and decrease the taxpayers’ burden to support our justice system.
See How You Can Make a Difference
We are hoping that after you read the above information, you are ready to help us and seek action. Our goal is to spread awareness and connect with those that may have been wrongfully convicted.
There are many ways to get involved and different organizations that help those wrongfully convicted. If you are interested in giving back and need help connecting with different organizations, please contact us today.
