As new crimes and sentencing enhancements mount, more offenders fill probation rolls and prisons, and many return after being discharged without being reformed. To break the cycle, policymakers must align incentives and goals by rewarding results through tying a portion of corrections funding to outcomes such as recidivism, cost effectiveness, restitution to victims, and the employment of ex-offenders.
Lesser of Two Evils? Young People Deserve More Choices
What Eva Arriaga lacked was options. Her medical assistant certificate, paid for with $15,000 in burdensome student loans, wasn’t enough to support her and her family. Though the Houston-area economy was booming, with thousands of high-paying jobs out there, Eva simply lacked the qualifications for the kind of job that provides a real future. Then...