A story in this morning's Philadelphia Daily News reports on a panel discussion that  was held earlier this week that focused on Philadelphia's criminal justice system and the findings of a recent report from the Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia's Crowded, Costly Jails: The Search for Safe Solutions. Michael Jacobson, Vera's director, participated in the panel.

"The report said that Philadelphia's prison population could be reduced without putting the public's safety at risk if solutions are found to keep low-level offenders awaiting trial out of jail and continue to streamline the criminal-justice process....

Michael Jacobson, director and president of the Vera Institute of Justice in New York, said it's important to keep low-level offenders out of jail.

'If you overpunish, and over-incarcerate, you will turn them into public-safety problems,' Jacobson said."