The Cost of Crime: Policies that Increase Public Safety and Decrease Budget Strain
The distance between policy and practice can often seem vast. Even the best (legislative) intentions can be laid bare by unforeseen circumstances. In criminal justice and public safety policy, two clear metrics can help evaluate the quality of an approach. Firstly and most importantly, are more people safe and fewer victims of crime created? Secondly, is the proposed approach saving taxpayer dollars over time, or adding to taxpayers’ burden? An examination of the factors that contribute to fiscal strain from criminal justice policy reveal that these metrics are far from mutually exclusive. Safer communities will, over time, reduce the financial burden of corrections costs.
When more people are behind bars for longer periods of time—and particularly when they receive no or low-quality programming—the cost of incarceration rises, proven strategies that actively deter crime are sidelined, and the chance for positive outcomes become missed opportunities. In February, we examined the relationship between lengthier sentences and crime deterrence. The data shows that more severe punishments do less to prevent crime than does the certainty of being caught. Furthermore, research suggests that the destabilizing impacts of a lengthier stay in prison can play a contributing role in increased recidivism, a major cost driver.
Alongside longer sentences, overcriminalization can lead to more prison crowding and less rehabilitation. Louisiana has over 600 felony offenses, leading to inconsistencies and oversights in sentencing. In the Future of Justice, a report released by Smart on Crime Louisiana and the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, the issue is put simply: “Louisiana’s lower threshold and stricter penalties can result in disproportionately severe sentences for amounts that other states treat more leniently, limiting rehabilitation opportunities and driving up incarceration costs. Other states have simpler rules and more flexible sentencing options that focus on fairness while holding offenders accountable.” Sentencing reform can save space, resources, and energy for ensuring that dangerous criminals are locked away and taxpayer dollars are well spent.
The days following a sentence served are just as crucial to the public safety and fiscal responsibility equation. Without a clear path to reentry, recidivism becomes far more likely and places the communities of those returning from incarceration at risk. A second chance can change both the life of the formerly incarcerated and the lives of those around them. Creating pathways for successful reentry begins in prison, with education, mentorship, and providing the resources necessary to pursue a life after one’s sentence. The absence of basic things, like identification, job certifications, and even clothes to wear to an interview can cause huge hurdles to finding a job and maintaining stability. In April, Louisiana did a wonderful job hosting second chance hiring events, and beyond that, the Louisiana Legislature has shown bipartisan support for smart policies that prepare people to return to society as contributing members instead of repeat offenders. Continuing to invest in these practices will encourage personal redemption, add to the workforce, and save the heartbreak and fiscal strain of a second incarceration.
Louisiana is facing ballooning corrections costs, as evidenced by the budget just approved by the Legislature. A proposed increase in the corrections budget met skepticism from those who have crunched the numbers. An 8% increase is no small ask, especially when the prison population and recent policy trends in the state are considered. Less parole, an older and sicker population, and a rising number of prisoners seem at odds with a state deeply concerned about both public safety and fiscal responsibility. Lawmakers in Louisiana should take advantage of the growing body of evidence that supports common sense, conservative reforms that reconcile protecting their people’s lives and dollars.