Alternatives to Incarceration — A Bibliographic Essay

This 1990 CASES Briefing Paper: 1) introduces some of the issues and concerns involving alternative sentencing; 2) reviews some alternative programs which currently exist, both established and experimental, to see how they are or can be integrated into the pre...

Alternatives to Youth Incarceration

Drug Treatment and Alternatives to Incarceration

With unmanageable numbers of drug abusers facing criminal charges in our courts, we are increasingly inclined to send many addicts to treatment rather than jail. The practical and conceptual issues raised by such a policy are complex and require much discussio...

Alternatives to incarceration for moms aim to strengthen families

Treatment Alternatives to Incarceration for People with Mental Health Needs in the Criminal Justice System — The Cost-Savings Implications

The disproportionate number of people with behavioral health disorders involved in the criminal justice system puts a tremendous strain on scarce public resources and has a huge impact on health care and criminal justice budgets. This research summary demonstr...

Vera Institute of Justice on the Anniversary of the “Care First, Jails Last” Alternatives to Incarceration Report

About the Vera Institute of JusticeThe Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and activists working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alterna...

Balancing Punishment and Treatment — Alternatives to Incarceration in New York City

Like other U.S. cities, New York is gradually increasing its use of alternatives to incarceration (ATIs) for people who have committed felonies. This is the first study to examine the city’s coordinated ATI system for people convicted of felonies—and one of th...

The Discretionary Power of Prosecuters

Plea bargains, which prosecutors have the discretion to offer to defendants, are ubiquitous in the U.S. criminal justice system. In fact, very few criminal cases make it to trial, where a judge and jury are the primary decision makers. An estimated 94 to 97 pe...

Criminal Justice Trends — Key Legislative Changes in Sentencing Policy, 2001-2010

Since 2001, many state legislatures have changed their criminal sentencing policies, increasingly emphasizing approaches that are “smart on crime.” The three main areas of legislative reform involve redefining and reclassifying criminal offenses, strengthening...

The Delta Program — A Program Plan for a Day Drug Treatment Program for Bronx Drug Felony Offenders

This 1992 report outlines Vera's Delta Program, a day treatment program for incarceration-bound drug-abusing offenders designed to specifically target offenders not reached by existing New York City Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) programs.

Introducing the Challenge Network

When the MacArthur Foundation announced the Safety and Justice Challenge competition in February of this year, we hoped to hear from jurisdictions across the country with the motivation and commitment to create meaningful criminal justice reform. We were looki...

Appreciating public health-oriented policing firsthand

Last month, the New York Times reported that more than 130 law enforcement officials have launched an initiative to reduce both crime and incarceration, representing a public shift in philosophy from previously popular tough-on-crime rhetoric. As a police off...