Louisiana joins with Pew Center to create recommendations for correctional reform
Criminal justice degree students who are planning to work in Louisiana may want to heed news on potential reforms in their field.
On January 20th, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal committed to increased research of his state's criminal justice system. He announced a collaboration between the state of Louisiana and the Pew Center on the State's Public Safety Performance Project (PSPP).
The new research project, which will be conducted through 2011, will analyze Louisiana's correctional policies. In 2009, the state had the nation's highest incarceration rate.
"Policy makers across the country are recognizing that prisons, just like any government spending program, need to be put to the cost-benefit test to make sure taxpayers are getting the best possible public safety return on their dollars," stated Adam Gelb, PSPP director.
The Pew study will focus on the motivations of the current prison population, and system cost drivers. The analysis will help align Louisiana's sentencing and correction process with best practice nationwide and hopefully reduce recidivism rates even further.
Jindal remarked on the state's progress in criminal justice reform, particularly its 2009 initiative to open day reporting centers in various parishes and widen re-entry support services for prisoners. From 2006 to 2009, state recidivism experienced a 33 percent decrease.
