Research and Policy Library
Arming the Courts with Research: 10 Evidence-Based Sentencing Initiatives to Control Crime and Reduce Costs
- Organization: The Pew Charitable Trusts
- Author: Roger Warren
- Document Type: Brief/Motion Papers
- Date Created: Friday, May 01, 2009
- Submitted: Friday, June 05, 2009
- Attachment(s): PDF
For many years, conventional wisdom has been that "nothing works" to change offender behavior--that once an offender has turned to crime little acn be done to help turn his or her life around. Today, however, there is a voluminous body of solid research showing that certain "evidence-based" sentencing and corrections practices do work and can reduce crime rates as effectively as prisons at much lower cost. A comprehensive study by the Washington legislature, for example, showed that greater use of these evidence-based practices would reduce Washington's crime rate by 8 percent while saving tax payers over $2billion.