Legal Trends Network

Criminal and prison reform is a hot political topic in every industrialized nation in the world. In the U.S., where a full 25% of the world's total prison population is housed, examination and reformation of the criminal justice system is imperative. When the number of corporately owned for-profit prisons directly correlates to the rise in the population of incarcerated individuals, we must ask ourselves exactly what the prison system is for and what it is accomplishing.

The Center for Policy Alternatives says "The for-profit prison industry has expanded rapidly, capitalizing on soaring incarceration rates. The United States is experiencing the largest prison build-up in recorded history. The prison population has more than quadrupled since 1980. The number of prisoners in private prisons grew more than 2,000 percent between 1987 and 1996, soaring from 3,122 to 78,000. Privately-run facilities held more than 98,790 inmates at mid-year 2004—up 3.4 percent since 2003."

Advancements in the areas of problem solving courts, restorative justice and therapeutic jurisprudence may be key reducing recidivism and reoffending. Studies from the UK have shown as much as a 50% reduction in reoffending rates for violent crime following restorative justice intervention. Therapeutic drug courts are showing great promise in lowering imprisonment rates for drug related crime, all of which are infinitely less expensive than incarceration. This section is intended to discuss reformation that is taking place through new alternative measures being established across the globe. Of further interest will be the LTN resources relative to:

• Therapeutic Jurisprudence
• Problem Solving Courts
• Restorative Justice
• Death Penalty Debate