Unraveling Decarceration Policy and How It Affects Correctional Populations
Presenter Type
UNO Graduate Student (Doctoral)
Major/Field of Study
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Advisor Information
Zachary Hamilton
Location
CEC RM #116
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
22-3-2024 10:30 AM
End Date
22-3-2024 11:45 AM
Abstract
After nearly four decades of rising incarceration rates, some states have significantly reduced their prison populations through legislative actions, agency policies and procedures, as well as adaptions to the COVID-19 pandemic (Caudill et al., 2014; Clark, 2020). The increased rate of offenders reentering the community has raised concerns about public safety (Marcum, 2020). Conversely, decreases in prison population can allow for more programming opportunities and supervision resources. Using a large sample of parolees from Washington State, we examine if large decreases in prison population affect technical violation and recidivism rates. We employ a longitudinal design aimed at capturing key policy and statute changes that drastically decarcerated the Washington State prison population between January 1, 2018, and August 31, 2023.
Unraveling Decarceration Policy and How It Affects Correctional Populations
CEC RM #116
After nearly four decades of rising incarceration rates, some states have significantly reduced their prison populations through legislative actions, agency policies and procedures, as well as adaptions to the COVID-19 pandemic (Caudill et al., 2014; Clark, 2020). The increased rate of offenders reentering the community has raised concerns about public safety (Marcum, 2020). Conversely, decreases in prison population can allow for more programming opportunities and supervision resources. Using a large sample of parolees from Washington State, we examine if large decreases in prison population affect technical violation and recidivism rates. We employ a longitudinal design aimed at capturing key policy and statute changes that drastically decarcerated the Washington State prison population between January 1, 2018, and August 31, 2023.