How to Reduce Incarceration and Protect the Public

It is highly unlikely that crime will decline further in the United States anytime soon. If that is the case, can incarceration still be reduced? Should it? The case for decarceration is not very persuasive, but the political pressures to proceed with it anyway are mounting. However, proposals to aggressively reduce incarceration are risky. Shorter or fewer prison sentences mean more serious criminals on the streets. Given the enormous recidivism rates of released inmates, this is dangerous. Bail reform really means more arrested offenders freed instead of jailed. This too is hazardous, though probably not as risky as early release from prison.

What we need is a system to protect the public and reduce incarceration. In this talk I will propose a way to achieve both these goals with electronic monitoring (EM) of parolees, probationers, and pretrial detainees. As electronic monitoring technology improves, we even may be able to replace traditional incarceration with e-carceration. That prospect is a long way off right now, but it isn’t unimaginable.

Bio

For over three and a half decades BARRY LATZER was Professor of Criminal Justice at John Jay College, CUNY, where he was a member of the Masters' and Doctoral faculties. Professor Latzer earned his Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and his J.D. at Fordham University School of Law. He has written and published five books and approximately 90 scholarly articles, research reports, magazine articles, book reviews, and op-eds. His latest book, The Myth of Overpunishment will be released shortly.