Brennan Center Report Finds Rehabilitation-Focused Prison Programs Reduce Violence and Recidivism

Date:  05-30-2026 Report examines reform efforts underway in prisons across the country and presents evidence that education, mentorship, job training and dignity-centered policies may produce better outcomes than traditional punitive approaches.

From Davis Vanguard: NEW YORK — A new report from the Brennan Center for Justice argues that rehabilitation-focused prison reforms can reduce violence inside correctional facilities, improve conditions for incarcerated individuals and staff, and lower recidivism rates after release. The report examines reform efforts underway in prisons across the country and presents evidence that education, mentorship, job training and dignity-centered policies may produce better outcomes than traditional punitive approaches. According to the report, approximately 62 percent of people released from prison are rearrested within three years, while 39 percent return to prison. In 2023, roughly 450,000 people were released from federal and state prisons. Based on those figures, the report estimates that about 280,000 of those individuals will be rearrested and 174,000 will return to prison within three years. Continue reading >>>