Justice Reinvestment Initiative (Fact Sheet)

Over the past 33 years, state spending on corrections has skyrocketed nationally—from $12 billion in 1988 to $66.4 billion in 2021. This cost puts a serious strain on many states’ criminal justice systems, often placing concerns about the bottom line in competition with public safety. Strategies tested in many states, however, show there are effective ways to address the challenge of containing rising corrections costs while also increasing public safety.