Legal Definitions - decarceration

Decarceration is a government policy that aims to reduce the number of people who are imprisoned or the rate of imprisonment in a particular area. This policy involves various measures, such as:

• Decriminalizing low-level offenses like marijuana possession
• Providing alternatives to incarceration, such as community service or probation
• Reducing the length of sentences for non-violent crimes

For example, in Brown v. Plata, the United States Supreme Court ruled that overcrowding in California's prisons was unconstitutional. This ruling led to a decarceration policy that aimed to reduce the number of people in prison by releasing non-violent offenders and providing alternatives to incarceration.

Another example of decarceration is the legalization of marijuana in some states. By decriminalizing marijuana possession, these states have reduced the number of people who are arrested and imprisoned for this offense.

Overall, decarceration is a policy that seeks to reduce the number of people who are incarcerated and promote alternatives to imprisonment. This policy aims to address issues like overcrowding in prisons, racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and the high cost of incarceration.