Prison Reform

MULTIMEDIA

California's Prisoners Dilemma — Jan 24, 2012

At this January 2012 Policy Forum, experts discuss the public health implications of a U.S. Supreme Court order to reduce the prison population by more than 30,000.

• Listen to the Audio

COMMENTARY

California's Prisoner Shuffle — Aug 19, 2011

The state needs to deal with prison overcrowding and inadequate medical care for prisoners in ways that don't simply transfer the burden to county criminal justice systems and the healthcare safety nets of local communities, writes Lois Davis.

• Commentary

JOURNAL ARTICLE

The Current State of Quality of Care Measurement in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — Mar 31, 2011

California's prisons, which are operating under receivership for medical care, need help in improving the quality of health care they provide.

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REPORT

Federal Death Penalty Cases Are Not Racially Biased — Jul 17, 2006

Federal prosecutors' decisions about whether to seek the death penalty are not racially biased but instead can be very accurately predicted based on the characteristics of the crime, according to an analysis of data from 1995 to 2000.

• Full Document
• News Release

REPORT

“Low-Level” Drug Offenders Often Had Serious Criminal History — Jun 23, 2005

Voter-approved initiatives in Arizona and California have diverted low-level drug offenders from prison and jail. However, many of those imprisoned before the initiatives were approved were more serious criminal offenders than the “low-level” label implies.

• Full Document
• News Release

NEWS RELEASE

RAND Finds Imprisoned Low-Level Drug Offenders in Arizona and California Typically Could Have Faced More Serious Charges — Jun 22, 2005

• News Release

REPORT

Oregon’s Measure 11 Sentencing Reform: Implementation and System Impact — Dec 13, 2004

Measure 11, passed in Oregon in 1994, imposed long mandatory prison terms for designated offenses, prohibited “earned time,” and provided for mandatory waiver of youthful offenders to adult court. This study analyzes the implementation of Measure 11 and its impact on prosecution, sentencing, and convictions. Findings show that Measure 11 has altered sentencing and case processing practices in Oregon, with offenders convicted of…

• Full Document
• Children and Families Research Area

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Drug Courts: A Conceptual Framework — Dec 31, 2000

• Full Document

REPORT

Drug Offenders and the Criminal Justice System: Will Proposition 36 Treat or Create Problems? — Dec 31, 1999

• Full Document

JOURNAL ARTICLE

The FARE Probation Experiment: Implementation and Outcomes of Day Fines for Felony Offenders in Maricopa County — Dec 31, 1999

• Full Document

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Are mandatory minimum drug sentences cost-effective? — Dec 31, 1997

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REPORT

Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences: Throwing Away the Key or the Taxpayers' Money? — Jan 1, 1997

The authors of the current study examine mandatory minimum drug sentences from the viewpoint of cost-effectiveness at achieving such national drug control objectives as reducing cocaine consumption and cocaine-related crime.

• Full Document
• Research Brief
• Related Report
• Testimony

REPORT

The Nokomis Challenge Program Evaluation — Dec 31, 1995

This report contains the results of RAND's evaluation of the Michigan Department of Social Services' Nokomis Program, an innovative relapse prevention correctional program designed for low- and medium-risk juveniles convicted of a felony offense.

• Full Document

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Drug court or probation? : an experimental evaluation of Maricopa County's drug court — Dec 31, 1995

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JOURNAL ARTICLE

Intensive Probation and Parole — Dec 31, 1995

Intensive supervision programs (ISP) have proliferated in the past decade. They generally emphasize reduced caseloads, close surveillance, urinalysis, treatment, and employment.

• Full Document

JOURNAL ARTICLE

An Experimental Evaluation of the Phoenix Repeat Offender Program — Dec 31, 1995

The authors used a randomized field experiment to evaluate the impact of efforts at post-arrest case enhancement by a special repeat offender unit of the Phoenix Police Department.

• Full Document