Finding Direction in What Works for Others

Sounds like a smart approach to me.

As the United States struggles to deal with its over-burdened and over-flowing prison system, a great deal of evidence-based research is emerging that points toward options for reducing over-incarceration without compromising public safety and improving approaches for dealing with complex social issues.

A recent publication from the U.S. based Justice Policy Institute, “compares and contrasts the criminal justice policies and social, economic, and governmental structures of five countries – Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Finland and Germany – to the United States.”

“The United States incarcerates more people than any other nation and holds 25 percent of the world’s total imprisoned population,” said JPI executive director Tracy Velázquez. “As federal, state, and local governments are trying to make ends meet during particularly difficult economic times, they need to broadly rethink what options might be available to them. We hope this report helps policymakers re-imagine justice systems to save taxpayers money, treat people fairly and make us safer at the same time.”

This report also contains relevant information for Canada!