President Biden Announces $15 Billion Accel­er­at­ing Justice System Reform Grant Program

Almost 1.2 million people are serving sentences in state and federal pris­ons, and county jails across the country see over 10 million admis­sions every year. Four million more people are on proba­tion or parole. The ever-increasing levels of incar­cer­a­tion have widespread soci­etal consequences by driving and reinforcing racial inequity, dispro­por­tion­ately punishing communities of color, and extracting wealth from under-invested communit­ies by imposing criminal fines/fees in addition to the wages lost for those with criminal records.

Time after time and study after study shows incar­cer­a­tion isn't the path to choose to achieve public safety goals. Incar­cer­a­tion has little to no effect on viol­ent crime. The Brennan Center for Justice found that almost 40 percent of the U.S. prison popu­la­tion is behind bars with no compel­ling public safety reason.

This week, Pres­id­ent Joe Biden announced a land­mark proposal to estab­lish a $15 billion grant program called Accelerating Justice System Reform. The plan would help states reduce unne­ces­sary incar­cer­a­tion and improv­e public safety without lock­ing up more people. The proposal would enable communit­ies to better care for histor­ic­ally vulner­able popu­la­tion, like those contend­ing with substance abuse, home­less­ness, and poverty.

As part of President Biden's Safer America Plan, the goal of the Accelerating Justice System Reform grant would help states, cities, Tribes, and territories advance prevention strategies while investing in mental health, substance use disorder, homelessness and other services to prevent crime and reduce the burden on police so they do not have to respond to non-violent situations that may not merit police intervention. The aim of this grant work is to enhance public safety, but also deliver evidence-based criminal justice reform that advances racial equity.

Some examples of this grant work in practice:

• Expand drug courts that divert individuals charged with drug possession alone into mandatory treatment and harm reduction services instead of incarceration, as well as other alternative courts such as mental health courts and veterans courts.
• Increase mental health and substance use disorder services, including by training existing professionals to become certified in cognitive behavioral therapy (which helps people improve their response to stress and reduce impulsivity), trauma-informed therapy, and other evidence-based treatments effective at addressing mental health problems, disruptive behaviors, and exposure to or risk of violence.
• Provide housing and other supportive social services to individuals who are homeless, including those displaced due to victimization
• Increasing job training, employment, housing, and other stabilizing services and opportunities for people returning home from jail and prison.

In order to receive these important funds, jurisdictions must repeal mandatory minimums for non-violent crimes and change other laws that contribute to increased incarceration rates without making our communities safer. Most crim­inal justice policy takes place in states, but federal funds can provide power­ful, often hidden incent­ives for forward-looking policy. Instead of subsid­iz­ing mass incar­cer­a­tion, this new flow of funds would cata­lyze posit­ive change. 

You can read the full White House statement on the Safer America Plan here.