NCJ Number
254853
Date Published
December 2019
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This report on the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) in Maine addresses the reasons for initiating it and the steps in implementing it.
Abstract
In the summer of 2019, Maine government leaders requested support from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and The Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew) to use a JRI approach in addressing a recent increase in the Maine prison population and weaknesses in community- based corrections. Based on findings from quantitative and qualitative analyses and input from the technical assistance provided by the Council of State Governments Justice Center staff, the State Commission on the Sentencing, Supervision, Incarceration, and Management of Offenders (the commission) will develop policy options designed to improve outcomes and enable the state to reinvest in strategies that reduce recidivism, improve and expand responses to behavioral health challenges, and increase public safety. This report describes the steps in the JRI process as follows: 1) Analyze data and develop policy options. 2) Adopt new policies and put reinvestment strategies into place; and 3) Measure performance.