Pew - State of Recidivism: The Revolving Door of America's Prisons, 2011
Recognizing the importance of recidivism to policy makers seeking better results from their correctional systems, Pew, in collaboration with the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA), undertook a comprehensive survey aimed at producing the first state-by-state look at recidivism rates. The new figures suggest that despite a massive increase in corrections speding, in many states there has been little improvement in the performance of corrections systems

Pew - Collateral Costs: Incarcerations Effect on Economic Mobility, 2010
This report focuses on the intersection of incarceration and mobility, and examines: To what extent does incarceration create lasting barriers to economic progress for formerly incarcerated people, their families and their children? What do these barriers mean for the American Dream, given the explosive growth of the prison population? The report finds that the price of prisons in state and federal budgets represents just a fraction of the overall cost of incarcerating such a large segment of our society. The collateral consequences are tremendous and far-reaching.

The Sentencing Project - Throwing Away the Key:The Expansion of Life Without Parole Sentence in the United States, 2010The rising number of LWOP prisoners is the end result of three decades of tough-on-crime policies that have made little impact on crime but have had profound consequences for American society.

Pew - Prison Count 2010: State Population Declines for the First Time in 38 Years, 2010
For the first time in nearly 40 years, the number of state prisoners in the United States has declined. Survey data compiled by the Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew Center on the States, in partnership with the Association of State Correctional Administrators, indicate that as of January 1, 2010, there were 1,404,053 persons under the jurisdiction of state prison authorities, 4,777 (0.3 percent) fewer than there were on December 31, 2008.1 This marks the first year-to-year drop in the state prison population since 1972.

Pew - Right-Sizing Prisions: Business Leaders Make the Case for Corrections Reform, 2010
Pew’s Public Safety Performance Project worked with business leaders from five states who have been at the forefront of finding cost-effective ways to protect public safety and hold offenders accountable, while also providing the education and infrastructure they need. In this report they discussed why and how they are working with policy makers to develop strategies that can yield less crime at a lower cost.

Task Force on Transforming Juvenile Justice - Back on Track: Supporting Youth Reentry from Out-of-Home Placement to the Community, 2009
The report finds that institutionalizing young people should be "the choice of absolute last resort, reserved only for those who pose such a serious threat that no other solution would protect prublic safety." In most cases, the state should instead treat and rehabilitate young offenders who can be well served by community-based supports and services that align with best practices in the field.

Pew - Pew Applauds Bipartisan Legislation to Help States Get a Better Return on Their Public Safety Dollars, 2009
The introduction of the Criminal Justice Reinvestement Act of 2009 to establish a federal grant program will help states implement data-driven, evidence-based policies to increase public safety and reduce spending on corrections.

Urban Institute-The First Line of Defense: Reducing Recidivism at the Local Level Hearing Before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcomittee on Crime and Drugs, 2009
This report describes recidivism as a compelling national problem, some current innovation, and how more attention and evaluation is necessary.

Justice Center-New Federal Action Plan for Children of Incarcerated Parents, 2009
The report details seventy plus recommendations for improving outcomes of the 1.7 million children of incarcerated parents.

The Sentencing Project-Recidivism Rate Low in Nevada, 2009
Nevada has one of lowest recidivism rates in the country; 28% vs. national average of 40%.

The Sentencing Project-Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System, 2009
Describes racial disparity in the criminal justice system and recommends policy changes.

The Sentencing Project-The Impact of Mandatory Sentencing Policies in the United States, 2009
Testimony of Marc Maur prepared for the Canadian Parliament. U.S. mandatory sentencing has failed to enhance public safety, has produced excessive punishments, and has not eliminated discretion.

RAND-Police Recruitment and Retention in the Contemporary Urban Environment: A National Discussion of Personnel Experiences and Promising Practices from the Front Lines, 2009
An in-depth look at challenges, opportunities, and best-practices in recruiting and retaining police officers and other first-responders.

Justice Center-Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of Specialized Probation Initiatives, 2009
Identifies ten key elements of successful initiatives to improve outcomes for paroles with mental illnesses.

The Sentencing Project-The State of Sentencing 2008: Developments of Policy and Practice, 2009
The report highlights a number of key state-level criminal justice policy developments that occurred in 2008: parole, drug policy, racial disparity, and more.

Vera Institute of Justice-Vera Announces Creation of Cost-Benefit "Knowledge Bank": A New National Resource for Cost-Effective Criminal Justice Planning, 2009
Knowledge bank intended to inform practitioners and policymakers about the budgetary impacts of criminal justice policy choices.

Pew - Maximum Impact: Targeting Supervision on Higher-Risk People, Places and Times, 2009
Report outlines a targeted strategy: cut costs and prevent criminal activity by listening to statistics -  majority of serious crimes are committed by a small fraction of people, in a small number of crime-ridden neighborhoods, during the first few month of probation or parole.

Justice Center-Justice Reinvestment in Texas: Assessing the Impact of the 2007 Justice Reinvestment Initiative, 2009
This brief examines the justice reinvestment strategy to increase public safety and reduce spending on corrections in Texas. It looks at policies inacted, trends in prison, parole, and probation since 2007, and challenges facing Texas in 2009.

Vera Institute of Justice-The Fiscal Crisis in Corrections: Rethinking Policies and Practices, 2009
This report provides a look at how budget cuts are affecting corrections: reduce spending on staff and programs, bolstering re-entry programs, instituting early-release opportunities

NCSL-Cutting Corrections Costs: Earned Time Policies for State Prisoners, 2009
Report explores the cost-saving policies that speed release time of inmates who complete programs. In addistion the report looks at savings to states, recidivism rates, and details information on sentencing and corrections policies.

The Sentencing Project- Racial Impact Statements: Changing Policies to Address Disparities, 2009
The scale of racial disparity within the criminal justice system is staggering. One of every nine black males between the ages of 20 and 34 is incarcerated. By requiring “racial impact statements” for all new sentencing standards, states can begin to diminish racial inequity in their criminal justice systems.

The Sentencing Project-Justices Will Scrutinize Life Sentences, 2008
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear two cases regarding the constitutionality of imposing a sentence of life without parole on juvenile non-homicide offenses.