Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Improving Incarceration Policies and Practices in Allegheny County

摘要

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Improving Incarceration Policies and Practices in Allegheny County examines the dramatic growth of national and local incarceration rates in recent decades even as crime rates have fallen. One key contributor to this dramatic rise in the county jail population is the large number of people being detained prior to trial through the setting of monetary bonds, which often keep low-risk defendants behind bars. The criminal justice system currently also has disproportionate impacts on Black and Latino populations and on people living in poverty. Building upon improvements that criminal justice professionals in Allegheny County have already accomplished, the task force put forth recommendations to create a fairer and more equitable system and to utilize taxpayer dollars efficiently and effectively, without compromising public safety.