Anise Vance, Boston Indicators
November 30, 2017
Published by the research arm of The Boston Foundation, this article is rich with data showing, as the article states:
Read ArticleA well-functioning criminal justice system should protect our neighborhoods from immediate threats, justly punish wrongdoers in a way that avoids cruelty and provide robust supports for offenders to get back on the right track. As demonstrated by the data in this brief, our state’s increasing criminalization of people with substance abuse problems has likely violated all three of these principles. Recidivism rates among people with substance abuse challenges remains high, creating a cycle that is unnecessarily expensive and harms the long-term health of communities, families and individuals.