How Over-Incarceration Is Driving a Push for Criminal Justice Reform

A guard tower at the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, Lee County, South Carolina. Photo credit: Randall Hill/Reuters

A recent poll commissioned by the Vera Institute of Justice shows that the tide is turning when it comes to what people want for their communities. A majority of Americans — 67 percent overall, including 61 percent in rural areas — agreed that building more jails and prisons does not reduce crime.

Moreover:

“Nearly half (49 percent) of respondents said they believed ‘too many people are in jail for the wrong reasons,’ and 55 percent agreed that the country’s criminal justice system discriminates against poor people.”

Check out this fascinating City Lab Q&A about the study:

Is America Ready to Rethink Incarceration?