The majority of people in jail are presumed innocent. Most are there for nonviolent offenses. Many are simply too poor to post bail. Our overuse of jails carries significant costs—to individuals, families, communities, and society at large. We need solutions to start where incarceration starts: in our nation’s jails.
The primary purpose of jails is to detain those awaiting trial who are a danger to public safety or a flight risk. But they now hold many who are neither, at exorbitant fiscal and social costs.
A total of 191 applications were submitted to the Challenge from jurisdictions spanning 45 states. Meet the 40 that were selected to participate in the Challenge Network.
Criminal justice reform is happening all across the country—reducing jail and prison populations through alternative sentencing that may include substance abuse, mental health, or batterer intervention treatment. However, most professionals engaged in reform are focused solely on the perpetrators of
