Rhode Island

In 2015, the Rhode Island Department of Corrections projected that after years of steady decline, the state’s incarcerated population would grow 11 percent by FY2025, at an estimated cost to the state of $28 million dollars in additional operating and staffing costs.

To address this challenge, state leaders from all three branches of government requested technical assistance from the CSG Justice Center to analyze the state’s criminal justice data, interview stakeholders from across the criminal justice system, and collaborate with the state’s Justice Reinvestment Working Group to develop data-driven policy options designed to reduce spending on corrections and increase public safety.

Analyses conducted by the CSG Justice Center revealed that Rhode Island’s outdated probation policies have contributed significantly to the number of people incarcerated in the state. One-third of pretrial admissions to the state’s Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) are for alleged violations of probation, and an estimated 60 percent of sentenced admissions are for probation violations.

The bipartisan 27-member Justice Reinvestment Working Group met five times between July and December of 2015 to address the issues in the state’s criminal justice system—particularly in probation. Ultimately, a package of legislation passed with bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House and was signed by Governor Gina Raimondo on October 5, 2017.

These policies ensure that judicial decisions and supervision practices will be informed by risk and needs assessments, benefits for victims of crime will be expanded, the Superior Court will have the opportunity to create a diversion program, and there will be more structured sentencing for certain crimes.

In addition to passing this legislation, in June 2016, the Rhode Island Supreme Court adopted a series of amendments to the Superior Court Rules of Criminal Procedure and Superior Court Sentencing Benchmarks. Earned discharge for people on probation was included in these rules. Officers can now petition the court to terminate supervision for people on probation who are low risk and compliant, thus reserving resources for people who are assessed as being at a moderate or high risk of reoffending.

Also in June 2016, the General Assembly passed and adopted a budget that included an upfront investment of $893,000 earmarked for the Rhode Island Department of Corrections to support enhancements to risk and needs assessment, cognitive-behavioral programming, and hiring and training additional probation officers.

• Justice Reinvestment in Rhode Island Overview (July 7, 2015): The Justice Reinvestment in Rhode Island Overview highlights recent criminal justice trends in Rhode Island that the Working Group will be exploring in coming months as part of the state’s justice reinvestment effort. Trends highlighted in the report include crime and arrest, Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) awaiting trial admissions, sentenced ACI populations, probation and parole populations, and recidivism.

Justice Reinvestment (since 2015)

• First Presentation to Rhode Island’s Justice Reinvestment Working Group (July 20, 2015): This presentation introduces the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the justice reinvestment process, and includes initial analyses on Rhode Island’s criminal justice system. This material was delivered to the Rhode Island Justice Reinvestment Working Group on July 7, 2015.
• Second Presentation to Rhode Island’s Justice Reinvestment Working Group (September 10, 2015): Presentation to the Rhode Island Justice Reinvestment Working Group that focuses on analysis of the state’s pretrial and probation system and what works to reduce recidivism.
• Third Presentation to Rhode Island’s Justice Reinvestment Working Group (October 27, 2015): The third working group presentation focuses on the state’s probation system, analyzing stakeholder perspectives, probation outcomes, sentencing trends, supervision practices, and probation statutes and case law.
• Working Group Presentation: Policy Development Workshop (December 1, 2015): This presentation summarizes the comprehensive data analysis and intensive stakeholder engagement that was offered at previous working group meetings, focuses on the top three challenges to Rhode Island’s adult criminal justice system, and includes points of discussion on how to address these challenges.
• Final Presentation to the Rhode Island Justice Reinvestment Working Group (December 18, 2015): Presentation delivered to the Rhode Island Justice Reinvestment Working Group. Provides an overview of challenges to the Rhode Island’s criminal justice system and details the justice reinvestment policy framework and impact estimates.

Justice Reinvestment Archived Publications (2005-2007)

• Increasing Public Safety and Generating Savings: Options for Rhode Island Policymakers (December 16, 2005)
• Increasing Public Safety and Generating Savings: Options for Rhode Island Policymakers (February 15, 2006)
• Increasing Public Safety and Generating Savings: Options for Rhode Island Policymakers (April 14, 2007)

• Justice Reinvestment in Rhode Island: Analysis and Policy Framework (June 23, 2016): The final report of the CSG Justice Center outlines a comprehensive series of policy recommendations developed in collaboration with the Rhode Island Justice Reinvestment Working Group.
• Justice Reinvestment in Rhode Island: Modernizing Supervision Practices (December 5, 2018): After using a Justice Reinvestment approach, Rhode Island passed legislation that will modernize probation and parole policies and practices, create more opportunities for community-based treatment for people with substance addictions and mental illnesses, and expand benefits for victims of crime, among other measures. This publication presents a summary of the Justice Reinvestment process and legislation.