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Prison Reform

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Conditions inside prisons and the quality of services provided to prisoners can significantly impact outcomes for the incarcerated population and the wider community. RAND research has considered the quality of health care provided in California's prisons, has analyzed the impact of correctional education on employment outcomes for prisoners, and is evaluating the world's first Social Impact Bond funding model for prison services.

Commentary
Investing in Social Change: Lessons Learned from Foundation-Funded Criminal Justice Research
Investing in policy-focused research can be among the ways foundations catalyze change. Impactful work may involve strong collaborations across funders, researchers, and community partners. And it may require flexibility in design and execution as well as a commitment to getting the findings into the hands of decisionmakers who can use the findings to create change.
Jul 20, 2021
Commentary
Defund Prisons, Not Police
The United States spends billions on prisons, jails, and juvenile detention facilities. New lows in incarceration rates present a chance to shift resources away from costly correctional facilities and toward education, job training, transportation, and other community services.
Aug 9, 2021

Explore Prison Reform

Report
How Did COVID-19 Affect Prison Education?
Many U.S. correctional systems shut down or cut back on education and vocational programs because of the pandemic. But having to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions helped accelerate the adoption of online and hybrid learning models and the use of technology for prison education programs.
Mar 23, 2023
Blog
The Most Popular RAND Research of 2021
As another extraordinary year draws to a close, we continue to believe that objective, nonpartisan research and analysis has a key role to play in navigating what continues to be a difficult time. Here are the 10 research projects that resonated most with rand.org readers in 2021.
Dec 22, 2021
Blog
Defunding Prisons, Preventing Cyberattacks, Promoting COVID-19 Vaccinations: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on defunding prisons, how to deter ransomware attacks, overcoming barriers to COVID-19 vaccination, and more.
Aug 13, 2021
Essay
How RAND Applies an Equity Lens to Research and Analysis
RAND recognizes that serving the public good requires tackling the factors that contribute to inequities head-on. Current projects focus on such issues as environmental racism, mass incarceration, and anti-Asian violence.
Jul 7, 2021
News Release
Guide to Help Prison Officials Create College-Level Educational Programs Created by RAND Corporation
A guide to help prison officials create high-quality college educational programs for inmates has been created by the nonprofit RAND Corporation. The toolkit—available online for free—is intended as a starting point for corrections officials who are considering whether to have a college program within their prison system or who may seek additional information to ensure the success of an existing program. The guide is relevant for both two-year and four-year college programs.
Jun 29, 2021
Tool
New Guide to Help Implement College Programs in Prisons
Education services can improve the lives and conditions of people in prison and help them compete for jobs when they are released. A new tool aims to guide corrections officials who are considering whether to start a college program or are looking for information to ensure the success of an existing program.
Jun 29, 2021
Research Brief
How the Criminal Justice System's COVID-19 Response Has Provided Valuable Lessons for Broader Reform
The COVID-19 pandemic brought urgent pressure to reform justice processes and, as the crisis recedes, provides an opportunity to build on those changes. What are the key lessons learned and recommendations from stakeholders in different sectors of the justice system?
Jun 22, 2021
Research Brief
Los Angeles County Jails Could Divert More Individuals to Community-Based Mental Health Services
Summarizes findings of a report in which researchers estimated the percentage of individuals with mental health disorders in Los Angeles County jails who could be diverted from traditional criminal justice processing to community-based care.
Feb 3, 2020
Journal Article
Does Providing Inmates with Education Improve Postrelease Outcomes? A Meta-Analysis of Correctional Education Programs in the United States
Meta-analysis demonstrates the potential value in providing inmates with educational opportunities while they serve their sentences.
Jul 3, 2018
Journal Article
Managing Officer Behavioural Risk Using Early Intervention Systems: Addressing System Design Challenges for Law Enforcement and Corrections Environments
The goal of EIS is to provide the opportunity to identify and intervene for officers that are showing signs of problematic behaviour or performance. In the project described here, we demonstrated expansion of the EIS concept to a corrections context.
Nov 7, 2017
Report
An Alternative Future for the Corrections Sector
Experts agree that the main role of the U.S. corrections sector should be to help improve offenders' behavior. Better staff training, the elimination of operations that generate revenue, and a cultural shift to prioritize rehabilitation over punishment could help.
Oct 26, 2017
News Release
Too Little Evidence Available to Determine Cost Savings of Crime Reform Initiative for Los Angeles County
While a California ballot initiative reducing penalties for some criminal offenses promised to save local governments money, quantifying such savings will require significant changes in the way local agencies track workloads.
Jun 15, 2017
Report
Too Little Evidence Available to Determine Cost Savings of Crime Reform Initiative for Los Angeles County
While a California ballot initiative reducing penalties for some criminal offenses promised to save local governments money, quantifying such savings will require significant changes in the way local agencies track workloads.
Jun 15, 2017
Commentary
UK Prisons Are in 'Crisis,' So What Can Be Done to Improve Performance?
Prisons in the UK are experiencing record numbers of suicides and other violent incidents, as well as staff shortages. Policymakers working on prison reform need more effective ways to measure the performance of prison programs.
Feb 20, 2017
Commentary
Support for Postsecondary Education in Prison
Correctional educational programs can reduce incarceration costs and recidivism. But it's critical that former inmates can connect with reentry services in the community to complete their education.
Dec 15, 2016
Journal Article
A National Picture of Prison Downsizing Strategies
This study provides an overview of national prison downsizing strategies.
Feb 26, 2016
Project
Evaluating the World's First Social Impact Bond
A process evaluation of a new funding mechanism implemented at a prison in the east of England, whereby private investors covered the costs of delivering public services to offenders on release from prison, provides evidence and key lessons on the operation of social impact bonds.
Dec 18, 2015
Commentary
Obama Commutes Sentences of 46 Drug Offenders. Now for the Hard Part
Last month, President Obama commuted more sentences in a single day than any president since Lyndon Johnson. But commutation doesn't erase a criminal conviction.
Aug 10, 2015

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