A couple of notable new prison policy papers from the Justice Policy Institute
Via email, I learned of two notable new policy papers from the folks at the Justice Policy Institute regarding state prison matters. Here are the titles and links along with a brief pverview from JPI:
“Unlocking Virginia’s Workforce: The Economic Case for Higher Education in Prison“:
As Virginia faces a critical labor shortage and rising incarceration costs, the state also sits on an untapped resource: thousands of incarcerated individuals eligible for federal Pell Grants who are eager to learn, work, and contribute to their communities. Unlocking Virginia’s Workforce makes the economic and moral case for expanding access to higher education in Virginia’s prisons and offers a comprehensive policy blueprint for reform.
Prisons in the U.S. are rapidly aging, and so are the people inside them. In Iowa, Texas, and Illinois, decades of extreme sentencing have created a crisis: a growing population of older adults behind bars with severe medical needs, limited mobility, and few prospects for release. This new white paper from the Justice Policy Institute examines how long sentences, racial disparities, and lack of compassionate release are driving up costs and worsening conditions for incarcerated elders – many of whom pose no public safety risk.