The Platte Institute of Economic Research (PIER) issued a paper that recommended ways Nebraska could save taxpayers’ money without compromising public safety by implementing reform measures.
The paper, Getting More for Less with Criminal Justice Reform, written by Marc Levin and Derek Cohen of Texas Public Policy Foundation and published by PIER, offers recommendations on how to lower increasingly rising incarceration costs without jeopardizing the public:
Implementing an initiative similar to Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) court model to reduce drug use among probationers.
Reforming the state’s community release policy to include those who would ordinarily max-out. Releasing inmates to probation, rather than at the end of sentence, would be less costly and would increase accountability, while also allowing probation officers to link their clients to reentry services.
Instituting evidence-based practices to insure probation officers provide proven programs to reduce recidivism.
Levin and Cohen believe the above reforms would save millions of dollars and increase public safety.
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