Fifty-four inmates will be released from federal prison in Arizona as part of a criminal justice reform law passed by Congress last year. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons said, nationwide, 3,100 inmates have been identified for release.
Criminologist Travis Pratt, author of the book “Addicted to Incarceration,” said it’s a start to dealing with a U.S. prison population of 2 million people — most of whom are in state prisons or local jails.
“Releasing 3,100 of them won’t make much of a dent in the overall problem of mass incarceration, but I would say this. One thing the federal government can do is set the tone for a broader discussion," Pratt said.
The First Step Act provides $75 million a year over the next five years to identify the risks and needs of all federal inmates. The money will help provide education, job training and drug treatment to ensure those who are released don’t come back.
