Investing in People or Prisons? The Impact of State Investments on Incarceration Rates

Abstract

Criminal justice reform efforts have traditionally focused on changing elements of the criminal justice system such as sentencing reform. However, there is less of a focus on reducing interaction with the criminal justice system at the front end. The demographic and social characteristics of incarcerated individuals shows that the United States incarcerates more people of color, those with lower levels of educational attainment, and those with poor economic outcomes in comparison to the general public. This indicates that those who encounter the justice system often lacked educational and economic opportunities prior to their incarceration. Because the state is responsible for educating and promoting economic security of its citizens, there is a failure of the public system to meaningfully invest in people. If state’s provided education and public welfare supports, then they may be able to reduce the likelihood that someone becomes incarcerated. This research paper will look at what impact state investments on education and public welfare programs have on incarceration rate.