The
State
of

2017

Justice
Reform

A Watershed Year for Criminal Justice

In order to drive change in the justice system, one must pay attention to the map. In this interactive report, Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) identifies the major trends and developments that occurred across the country during the first year of a new administration. It also looks ahead, to how this new landscape will inform criminal justice reform work in a critical election year. This isn’t the last word, but rather the start of a conversation about what is and isn’t working to reform America’s justice system.

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A Crisis with No End in Sight

The United States continues to be in the grips of a surging drug overdose crisis driven largely by opioids.

Is “Tough on Crime” Back, and Will It Slow Reforms?

Much of police reform in the United States takes place at the state level and in the approximately 18,000 local law enforcement agencies.

A Breakthrough Year for Bail Reform

In 2017, judges, defenders, advocates—and even prosecutors and law enforcement—took up bail and other pretrial reforms in an unprecedented way.

Prosecutors Step into the Spotlight of Justice Reform

Thanks in part to grassroots organizing efforts seeking to reduce mass incarceration, a new conversation around local elected prosecutors emerged in 2017.

As Public Defense Faces Crises, Supportive Bipartisan Coalitions Emerge

On the stage of criminal justice reform, the voice of one actor has too often been missing: the public defender.

Reformers Look to Jails as a Key to Ending Mass Incarceration

Attention to the problem of mass incarceration in the United States has broadened beyond a concentration on state and federal prisons to include local jails.

As Youth Incarceration Drops, Racial Disparities Persist

Despite advances in reducing the number of incarcerated youth, pervasive disparities persist for youth of color at all points in the justice system.

Advocates Mobilize to Defend Immigrants as Enforcement Ramps Up

Although the news from 2017 was overwhelmingly unfavorable for immigrants in America, immigrants and their advocates did post some wins.

Women Are Heard—and an Understanding of Who Victims Are Expands

Victims or survivors of crime are poorly understood though they hold important keys to improving safety and justice in society.

While Federal Sentencing Reform Efforts Look Bleak, States Push Ahead

Given the climate in Washington, sentencing reform’s future is most likely at the state and local levels.

States Take on Prison Reform

With the White House and Department of Justice following a “tough on crime” path, state leaders are now largely on their own in reforming the prison system.

For Those Rejoining Society, a Multitude of Obstacles Persist

Despite challenges, progress has been made in helping people to succeed after incarceration by providing opportunities for housing, education, and employment.

Lenses

There are important issues that transcend many or all categories of justice reform. Through “Lenses,” we present items from across the report’s Topics in order to elevate additional insights and inspire critical thinking. We invite you to explore, comment, and share.

Bipartisan Support

Polls continue to confirm that criminal justice reform is a bipartisan issue.

Racial Justice

Racial discrimination continues to taint the promise of justice for all.

Women & Girls

The fastest-growing demographic in America’s prison and jail populations.

Disability

People with disabilities are much more vulnerable to harm than similarly situated people without disabilities.

LGBTQI

LGBT and gender nonconforming people continue to be overrepresented in the criminal justice system.

Public Health

People cycling through the criminal justice system have higher rates of chronic health problems than the general population.

About

Like many justice reform organizations, Vera is often asked, “What are the latest and most interesting developments in the field?” This question has grown more common as more and more people confront the need to improve the nation’s broken justice system and want to help.

Best of 2017

Across the country, judges, jurisdictions, police chiefs, public defenders, prosecutors, and allies took up the mantle of justice reform. Our interactive report, The State of Justice Reform, cites major trends and developments during the first year of a new administration, and informs reform in a critical election year. Below, we highlight some of our favorite justice-related podcasts, books, documentaries, and social media influencers from 2017:

Share the facts about criminal justice reform with your networks. Together, we can build and improve justice systems that ensure fairness, promote safety, and strengthen communities.

Spotlights

Explore how justice reform issues play out in the media and popular culture through these “spotlights” on key moments in the news.

Map

What does justice reform look like in your state?

Contributors

We are grateful to the many people who helped bring the State of Justice Reform 2017 to life. This project was made possible in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Open Philanthropy.

Lenses

LGBTQI

LGBT and gender nonconforming people continue to be overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Center for American Progress (CAP) and Movement Advancement Project (MAP), Unjust: How the Broken Criminal Justice System Fails LGBT People (Washington, DC and Denver, CO: CAP and MAP, 2016), 3. They are especially vulnerable to hate crimes, targeting by law enforcement, mental illness, substance use disorders, and lack of access to health care. Ibid. at iii-v. View State Of Justice Reform-related topics through an LGBTQI lens.

Spotlight

Thousands marching for justice for black women.
Spotlight

Helplines offer resources for victims.

Top Things to Know

1

Safeguarding the needs of LGBT youth proves challenging.

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2

Hate crimes are on the rise.

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3

Transgender people remain among the most vulnerable groups in prison.

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