Community Corrections and Costs

Overview

Prisons are expensive. Approximately $9 out of every $10 spent by states on corrections is devoted to state prisons, even though nearly 70 percent of offenders are supervised in the community. Adequate funding for community corrections is a perennial challenge, especially as states struggle with the recent recession. Community-based supervision for suitable offenders not only helps states do more with their corrections money, but also ensures prison space is available for the most dangerous offenders.

NCSL Resources

Reports and Articles

• Seven Sentencing Principles, December 2011 State Legislatures magazine
• Justice Reinvestment, October 2011 LegisBrief
• Corrections Impact Statements, September 2011 E-Bulletin
• Principles of Effective State Sentencing and Corrections Policy, August 2011 report
• Data-Driven Laws in 2010, February 2011 E-Bulletin
• Innovations in Community Corrections, 2010 policy brief
• StateStats: Prisons are Expensive, June 2009 State Legislatures magazine
• Crime Costs and the State of Corrections, March 2009 State Legislatures magazine
• Probation and Parole Violations: State Responses, November 2008 policy brief

Meetings and Multi-media

• NCSL Fiscal Analyst Seminar resources, August 2012
• Results and Evidence in Criminal Justice:  Tools and Resources, May 2012 Webinar
• The Principles at Work, legislator Q & A videos
• Principles of Effective State Sentencing and Corrections Policy, 2011 Legislative Summit
• Return on Investment: Improving Results and Saving Money, 2011 Legislative Summit
• A Data-Driven Approach to Reducing Prison Spending, 2010 Legislative Summit
• Cost Cutting Strategies in Corrections, 2009 Legislative Summit
• Prison Populations and Price Tags, 2008 Legislative Summit
• Criminal Justice Track, 2007 Fiscal Analyst Seminar