U.S. prisons are headed for an “historic investment” by the U.S. Department of Justice, according to Fiscal Year 2014 Budget of the U.S. Government.
With 2.3 million people in U.S. jails and prisons, most states are under fiscal constraints and face growing corrections costs and increasing prison populations.
Some states have responded with Justice Reinvestment strategies to bring down corrections costs by revising sentencing policies, with a goal of reducing recidivism without jeopardizing public safety.
Justice Reinvestment is a data-driven approach based on analysis of information of the latest research from The Counsel of the State Governments about what works to reduce crime. As a result, policy decisions are tailored to the specific public safety needs of local governments.
President Barack Obama’s administration is utilizing this comprehensive strategy by helping prisoners with reentry programs and investing in state programs proven to reduce recidivism,
The budget allocates $27.6 billion to the DOJ, an increase of 3.1 percent from 2012, according to the proposed budget. Law enforcement, court costs, prisons and holding facilities, and other essential government programs, also are funded above 2012 levels, at $8.6 billion, up 4.3 percent from last year.
The budget’s “historic investments,” create partnerships with states through the Justice Investment Act and provides grants to the states through the Second Chance Act.
The SCA allocates $119 million to states for reentry programs designed to reduce recidivism, $19 million for drug treatment, and $44 million for drug courts and support for the mentally ill and other special needs for offenders, according to the budget.
The budget allocates $85 million to the Reinvestment Initiative in order to decrease needless imprisonment and use the savings for public safety.
With 1 in 32 American adults under correctional supervision, and 71,000 juveniles held in juvenile facilities, SCA programs aim to strengthen family and parental ties, noting public safety would be improved through evidence-based strategies and data-driven approaches.
Here are some of the budget priorities:
•$440 million to support evidence-based community policing.
•$413 million to reinforce efforts to combat and respond to violent crimes against women.
•$222 million for firearm safety and programs in violence prevention to local governments.
•$150 million for school safety programs.
•$55 million to the states for improvements in criminal and mental health background checks.
•$20 million for a Juvenile Justice and Education Collaboration Assistance program to help reduce juvenile arrests (and the “school-to-prison pipeline”) while improving school safety.
•$15 million for police officer safety.
•$2 million for gun safety mechanisms that prevent the use of firearms by unauthorized.
By embracing these budget priorities, the Obama Administration shows a commitment to a comprehensive strategy to contain incarceration costs over the long term by assisting ex-offenders’ reentry into their communities and reducing the risk of individuals going back to prison after being released, according to the proposed budget.
