Public Safety

The number of accused and convicted criminal offenders in the United States who are monitored with ankle bracelets and other electronic tracking devices rose nearly 140 percent over 10 years, according to a survey conducted in December 2015 by The Pew Charitable Trusts. More than 125,000 people were supervised with the devices in 2015, up from 53,000 in 2005. Read More

With millions of Americans on probation or parole, states can learn from one another as they pursue ways to reduce the size and cost of the corrections system without compromising public safety. Missouri’s earned compliance credit policy can help guide the way. Read More

In 2012, Missouri established an “earned compliance credits” policy that allows individuals to shorten their time on probation or parole by 30 days for every full calendar month that they comply with the conditions of their sentences. Credits are available only to those who were convicted of lower-level felonies and have been under community supervision for at least two years. The Pew... Read More

We look forward to seeing you at the National Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists annual convention. Visit our booth in the exhibit hall (#420) to learn about careers at Pew and check out our panel of experts, who will discuss how to best use data to enhance your reporting. Read More

We look forward to seeing you at the NCSL Legislative Summit. Visit our booth in the exhibit hall (#929) to learn about our work across all 50 states, meet policy experts, and spin the wheel to find answers about your state’s fiscal health. Read More

The number of accused and convicted criminal offenders in the United States who are monitored with ankle bracelets and other electronic tracking devices rose nearly 140 percent over 10 years, according to a survey conducted in December 2015 by The Pew Charitable Trusts. More than 125,000 people were supervised with the devices in 2015, up from 53,000 in 2005. Read More

With millions of Americans on probation or parole, states can learn from one another as they pursue ways to reduce the size and cost of the corrections system without compromising public safety. Missouri’s earned compliance credit policy can help guide the way. Read More

In 2012, Missouri established an “earned compliance credits” policy that allows individuals to shorten their time on probation or parole by 30 days for every full calendar month that they comply with the conditions of their sentences. Credits are available only to those who were convicted of lower-level felonies and have been under community supervision for at least two years. The Pew... Read More

In June 2016, Oklahoma leaders from all three branches of government charged the Oklahoma Justice Reinvestment Task Force with conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the state’s criminal justice system and developing a set of data-driven recommendations to protect public safety, hold offenders accountable, control costs, and reduce the population under correctional control. Read More

On Jan. 12, 2016, Pew submitted comments in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s proposal to revise the factors it uses to determine whether a major disaster declaration warrants assistance to individuals, families, and businesses to support recovery. The changes will help address the growth in federal disaster spending and provide incentives to states and communities to... Read More

We look forward to seeing you at the National Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists annual convention. Visit our booth in the exhibit hall (#420) to learn about careers at Pew and check out our panel of experts, who will discuss how to best use data to enhance your reporting. Read More

We look forward to seeing you at the NCSL Legislative Summit. Visit our booth in the exhibit hall (#929) to learn about our work across all 50 states, meet policy experts, and spin the wheel to find answers about your state’s fiscal health. Read More

WASHINGTON—Alaska Governor Bill Walker (I) today signed a comprehensive package of criminal justice reforms legislation, S.B. 91, putting his state at the forefront of research-driven policies designed to protect public safety, hold offenders accountable, and control corrections costs. Read More

WASHINGTON—Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) signed into law a comprehensive package of criminal justice legislation today to enhance public safety, hold offenders accountable, and control corrections costs. The new law restructures sentences for low-level property and drug offenders and provides effective sanctions and incentives to help keep offenders on probation and parole crime-... Read More

WASHINGTON—Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed into law today comprehensive juvenile justice legislation that will increase public safety, improve outcomes for young offenders, protect public safety, and reduce costs for taxpayers. The legislation, Senate Bill 367, is expected to reduce the number of youth sent to out-of-home facilities by more than half and save $72 million over the next... Read More

From 2001 to 2013, the U.S. juvenile commitment rate declined 53 percent, according to data recently released by the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Rates fell in 49 states during this period, including decreases of over 50 percent in more than half of the states. The nationwide reduction reflects a 42 percent drop in juvenile violent-crime... Read More

The national imprisonment rate declined 1 percent while violent and property crime rates fell 1 percent and 5 percent, respectively, from 2013 to 2014,according to statistics released in September by the U.S. Department of Justice. From 2009 to 2014, the nation’s imprisonment rate fell 7 percent andthe total crime rate declined 15 percent. Read More

On November 17-19, 2014, policy makers, experts, and other key decision-makers from more than 30 states met to discuss the past, present, and future of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI). The event was co-hosted by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the Council of State Governments’ Justice Center. Read More

Since 2007, more than half of the states have participated in the Justice Reinvestment Initiative and made research-based policy changes to control prison growth, hold offenders accountable, and protect public safety. Although they vary in scope and significance, these reforms have sought to prioritize prison space for serious and violent offenders while expanding alternatives to incarceration... Read More

The connection between imprisonment and crime rates in the United States is complex, and conventional wisdom often is at odds with the facts. Take our quiz to test your knowledge about key trends and developments across the nation and in the states. Read More