The Delaware Justice Reinvestment Task Force, established by an executive order from Governor Jack Markell on July 25, 2011, is charged with conducting a comprehensive examination of the state’s criminal justice system. The Vera Institute of Justice is helping the task force develop a statewide policy framework to reduce spending on incarceration and reinvest in strategies that reduce recidivism and enhance public safety.

Vera will help the Delaware Justice Reinvestment Task Force develop a statewide policy framework to reduce spending on incarceration and reinvest in strategies that reduce recidivism and improve public safety. Vera and the task force will take the following steps:

• Analyze data. Vera will collect and analyze data to determine factors that are contributing to the size of the corrections population, which includes both pretrial detainees and sentenced individuals, and related costs. Vera will also assess the capacity and quality of institutional and community-based programs designed to reduce recidivism among people who are involved in the criminal justice system.
• Develop policy options. Based on these analyses and input from a range of stakeholders—including prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, law enforcement officials, and crime victims—Vera will help the task force develop policy options. This process will be informed by stakeholder input, examples from other states, and Delaware’s unique needs. Vera will also estimate the proposed policies’ impact on the need for prison beds statewide.

Why work on justice reinvestment in Delaware?

Delaware’s recent budget crisis has created serious challenges for its criminal justice system. Although the number of people in the state’s prisons has remained relatively constant in recent years, corrections spending has risen sharply over the past decade. In addition, the state’s facilities, many of which are aging and in need of repair, are operating near or over capacity. Consequently, policy makers must choose between expanding prison capacity and investing in alternatives such as pretrial services and community-based supervision and treatment. The Vera Institute of Justice will help the Delaware Justice Reinvestment Task Force navigate this choice by examining their prison and community corrections systems and finding ways to both cut costs and improve public safety.

This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance through its Justice Reinvestment Initiative. For more information about this work in Delaware, contact Juliene James.