Research Examines What Works in State Criminal Justice Policy

Studies look at strategies to reduce incarceration and recidivism

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Research Examines What Works in State Criminal Justice Policy

Most criminal justice research focuses on the effectiveness of programs that seek to reduce recidivism by changing offender attitudes and behavior. Pew’s research, in contrast, has targeted the laws and practices that control who goes to prison and for how long. The publications in this collection evaluate policies that have been frequent components of state reforms and identify several that are effective at reducing incarceration and reoffending rates simultaneously.