The Long Shadow of the Criminal Justice System
From the early 1980s through 2010, many states including Mississippi spent millions expanding their court and prison systems, passing harsher punishments in an attempt to deter crime. But in the years since, research has repeatedly shown that incarceration is among the least effective and most expensive ways to promote public safety–and in many situations actually increases the likelihood of future arrest. In light of that research, states across the region and the country have been able to change course and simultaneously reduce incarceration and crime, freeing up critical resources to use on other priorities.
Yet Mississippi’s criminal justice system continues to double down on outdated tactics like long prison sentences, which have been shown to be ineffective as a public safety measure. According to the most recent national data, the state’s imprisonment rate is 87% higher than the national average. There are approximately 19,500 people in prison in Mississippi today, of whom 59% are Black, 39% are white, and another 1% are identified as Hispanic.
While the state works to attract business, develop its workforce, and encourage economic development, it is operating a failing criminal justice system that casts a long shadow on the economy, weakening its workforce and hindering growth.
Many states, including Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma, have experienced declines in their prison populations thanks to an ongoing commitment to reforms. In fact, states that have reduced their imprisonment rates have reduced their crime rates three times faster than states whose imprisonment rates stayed the same or grew. Yet Mississippi’s prison population has remained stubbornly high, and this reliance on prison has failed to improve public safety.
An overly punitive criminal justice system wastes resources and fails to address people’s real safety and security needs. The collateral costs of spending on Mississippi’s criminal justice system drain critical resources better spent attracting new industries and cultivating economic development. Until Mississippi’s leaders fully implement past reforms and continue to advance solutions to safely reduce incarceration, its economy and workforce will fail to reach their full potential.
