An initiative to reduce over-incarceration by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails

Our Story Begins with the Problem The justice system in the US is in peril, and suffering a crisis. Nowhere is the more evident than the misuse and overuse of jails in America. However, the problem has been largely overlooked and potential solutions left in the background in addressing the growth of incarceration in the US and the reforms needed to make justice systems fairer, more effective, equitable, and humane. In large measure, this problem hidden in plain site reflects that the drivers reflect discretion exercised by different decision makers at different steps along the way – police, sheriffs, DA’s, judges – and the solutions can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. It also reflects that the burden falls on predominantly on low income individuals, communities of color as well as those persons with mental health and substance abuse issues. The Safety and Justice Challenge aims to create a network of partners to model and inspire effective criminal justice reforms across the country.

Why? ADMISSIONS There are nearly 12 million jail admissions annually—equivalent to the populations of New York City and Los Angeles combined, and almost 19 times the annual admissions to state and federal prisons. Despite growing national attention to the large number of Americans confined in state and federal prisons, significantly less attention has been paid to local justice systems, where the criminal justice system primarily operates and where over-incarceration begins. There are nearly 12 million local jail admissions every year – almost 20 times the number of prison admissions and equivalent to the populations of Los Angeles and New York combined.

Why? CONVICTIONS Three out of five people in jail are legally presumed innocent, awaiting trial or resolution through plea negotiations. Three out of five people in jail are legally presumed innocent, awaiting trial or resolution through plea negotiations. Nearly 75 percent of the population of both sentenced offenders and pretrial detainees are in jail for nonviolent offenses like traffic, property, drug, or public order violations.

Why? RACIAL DISPARITIES Nationally, African Americans are jailed at almost 4x the rate of white Americans. We know there are disparities in how people of color are treated by the system. Blacks and Latinos combined make up 30% of the general population but 51% of the jail population And we knew that reducing racial and ethnic disparities in local jails would be a core focus of our work.

191 Initial Applications State # Florida 11 New York 10 New Jersey 8 New Mexico 8 Pennsylvania 8 Texas 8 Wisconsin 8 California 7 Illinois 7 North Carolina 7 Ohio 7

The 20 Network Sites The sites are geographically diverse, distributed across the country with: 3 sites in the Northeast 5 sites in the Midwest 6 sites in the South, and 6 sites in the West

New Orleans, LA Population: 378,715 Jail capacity: 2,551 Lead agency: Office of Mayor Mitch Landrieu Summary: Develop a system of alternatives for police to respond to people in crisis outside of the local justice system by directing them to community-based programs for treatment. Strengthen pretrial release efforts through increased risk-based decision making to help prevent defendants who are in jail due to the inability to pay. Create tracking and accountability mechanisms focused on racial and ethnic disparities, and continue to engage the community in developing solutions.

The State of Connecticut Population: 3,600,000 Jail capacity: 4,684 Lead agency: Connecticut Office of Policy and Management Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division Summary: A pretrial court processing pilot in New Haven to increase the number of defendants who are diverted to a community based program. The Hartford Alternative to Arrest Project to provide screening and referrals to detention alternatives for an anticipated 800 individuals with mental health, substance abuse, and housing needs. An expanded Jail Diversion Substance Abuse program to provide an additional 95 defendants with access to court-based diversion to detox and residential treatment to avoid pretrial detention.

Challenge Network Sites Initiative Partners MacArthur Foundation Amplification SJC Network Knowledge Development Challenge Network Sites Strategic Allies

Strategic Allies APA: Association of Prosecuting Attorneys CSG: Council of State Governments NACo: National Association of Counties NCSL: National Conference of State Legislatures IACP: International Association of Chiefs of Police NCSC: National Center for State Courts NLC: National League of Cities NLADA: National Legal Aid & Defender Association

…Our Core Sites have been actively talking about their commitments and plans to make their local justice systems fairer and more effective. Around the recent April announcement, each site secured coverage by leading on local and regional press outreach amounting to more than 100 stories across top print, online and broadcast outlets that all touted local justice reform efforts. This included a number of positive editorials on the issue and lengthy on-air discussions about the problem and innovative solutions each site will employ to tackle the issue. On the national stage…

National Impact Network Amplification Knowledge Network is at the core – how do we achieve national impact? Not a demonstration of proof of concept Two critical elements: amplification and knowledge development Achieve a multiplier effect through the synergy of the different elements Progress documented, studied and disseminated will promote spread and diffusion

Safety and justice challenge