A couple of days ago, Amy Solomon of the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and Jake Horowitz of The Pew Charitable Trusts’ public safety performance project together penned this notable Hill commentary headlined "US needs bold reforms to transform probation and parole." Here are excerpts:
The scale of American incarceration has been in the news recently, with growing bipartisan agreement that this challenge needs to be addressed. Yet a related issue continues to operate below the radar: The number of people on probation or parole supervision in the United States, which has tripled in the past three decades.
Although it might seem counterintuitive, this rapid growth in supervision can serve to increase jail and prison populations — an outcome that should concern policymakers and taxpayers alike. While about half of the nearly 4.5 million people on probation or parole will successfully complete their sentences, onerous supervision requirements can become a tripwire, resulting in incarceration. In 2016, for example, 350,000 people exited supervision by entering a jail or prison — often for violating rules such as failing a drug test or missing a required meeting, rather than for a new criminal offense.
In an effort to transform community supervision and shift the focus from punishing failure to promoting success, the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts recently announced an initiative to work with leading experts on community supervision policy, practitioners at the state and local levels, and advocates and stakeholders such as victims’ family members, to adopt evidence-backed reforms.
Over the past two decades, research has shown that current probation and parole practices often deliver less-than-optimal results. We know, for example, that supervision with a large number of conditions can interfere with an individual’s progress of reintegrating into the community. Some jurisdictions have responded to this research. Since the community supervision population reached its peak in 2007, both the crime rate and the rate of community supervision have gone down in 37 states. Texas and South Carolina, among other states, have had declines in crime and supervision of 20 percent or more.
Yet despite the growing body of evidence that supervision can be counterproductive, too many jurisdictions continue to emphasize surveillance and impose standard, one-size-fits-all rules, rather than utilizing an integrated approach with treatment and conditions tailored to the individual. These rules include frequent in-person reporting requirements, which often conflict with job or family responsibilities, and costly fines and fees that disproportionately affect poor people, impeding their ability to rebuild their lives....
The good news is that many states have adopted policy changes aimed at shrinking the number of people on supervision, reducing revocations for technical violations, and investing in community-based treatment. But there’s a long way to go, and we must help states and supervision agencies adopt even bolder reforms.
A new report by our two organizations shows that a smaller correctional footprint and less crime can go hand-in-hand. Supervision for the 21st century will require that probation and parole agencies boost the public safety value of community corrections. That means addressing areas that support reintegration such as strengthening family ties and connections to the community, improving workforce development, and increasing access to drug treatment, as well as repairing the harm inflicted on victims.
On theme, today come the news that a group of celebrities and business leaders have formed a new organization, the REFORM Alliance, to work on these issues. This NBC News piece, headlined "Meek Mill, Jay-Z headline alliance to reform U.S. parole, probation laws," provides these details:
Sports, entertainment and business leaders announced the launch of an organization aimed at reforming the United States’ criminal justice system. Meek Mill and Jay-Z are among the group of leaders who pledged approximately $50 million to create the Reform Alliance. Its mission is to drastically reduce the number of people living under unjust parole and probation sentences, “while keeping communities safe by changing laws and public opinion.”
Other founding partners include Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin; Kraft CEO and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; Brooklyn Nets co-owner Clara Wu Tsai; Vista Equity Partners founder Robert F. Smith; Galaxy Digital founder Michael E. Novogratz; and Third Point LLC founder Daniel S. Loeb. CNN host and activist Van Jones will serve as CEO.
In an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt, Mill said he hopes the Reform Alliance will shed light on the issues within the criminal justice system. “This is not us going against the system, this is us trying to fix the system,” the rapper said. “These problems affect America, they affect families, they affect taxpayers. ... I hope we bring real change to help fix the problem.”
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