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Pew=20 Applauds Bipartisan Legislation to Help States Get a Better Return on = Their=20 Public Safety Dollars

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Pew Applauds Bipartisan Legislation to Help States Get a Better = Return on=20 Their Public Safety Dollars

Release Type: Pew Press = Release

Pew Contact: = Jennifer=20 Laudano, 202.540.6321, jlaudano@pewtrusts.org

Washington, D.C. - 11/17/2009 - Susan = Urahn,=20 managing director of the Pew Center on the States, issued the following=20 statement today regarding the introduction in Congress of The Criminal = Justice=20 Reinvestment Act of 2009. This legislation would establish a federal = grant=20 program to help states and local jurisdictions implement data-driven,=20 evidence-based policies to increase public safety, control growth in the = prison=20 and jail populations and reduce spending on corrections.

"Pew = applauds=20 Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy = (D-VT),=20 along with Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Dan Lungren (R-CA), = for=20 critical bipartisan legislation that will help states get a better = return on=20 their public safety investment.

"At a time when = virtually all=20 states have been stressed by the economic downturn and many are facing = severe=20 fiscal challenges, states must look at their budgets and make sure that = every=20 tax dollar is being spent wisely.

"Over the past 25 years, = state=20 spending on corrections has jumped to more than $52 billion. = It=E2=80=99s the=20 second fastest growing state budget category behind = Medicaid=E2=80=94and 1 out of every 100 adults is now behind bars. But for = all of=20 this spending, we are not getting an adequate return in terms of public = safety.=20 Corrections programs, like other government spending programs, need to = be put to=20 the cost-benefit test and policy makers from both political parties are = already=20 looking at research-based strategies that can lead to less crime at far = less=20 cost than prison.

"In recent years, a growing number of states = have taken=20 steps to increase public safety and reduce their inmate populations by = focusing=20 their resources on the most harmful offenders. In fact, seven = states (New=20 York, New Jersey, Texas, Nevada, South Carolina, Maryland and North = Carolina)=20 have reduced their crime rate and their incarceration rate at the same=20 time.

"The Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew = Center on the=20 States, working with The Council of State Governments Justice = Center and other=20 national and state partners, has helped states advance fiscally sound,=20 data-driven sentencing and corrections policies and practices that = protect=20 public safety, hold offenders accountable and control costs. This=20 legislation will bolster state efforts by bringing federal leadership = and=20 resources to this critical effort."

The Pew Center on the = States=20 (www.pewcenteronthestate= s.org),=20 a division of The Pew Charitable Trusts, identifies and advances = effective=20 policy approaches to critical issues facing states. The Pew Charitable = Trusts is=20 driven by the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging = problems. Pew=20 applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform = the=20 public and stimulate civic life.

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