Psalm 79:11 ESV
Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power.
Is our current system the only way to promote safety in our communities or is there a better way? Consider this TedTalk How to fix two of the most broken systems in the US (16:17) 2021.
A better, more faithful and human way to assess the justice system’s impact on a community could be to measure how people are diverted out of the criminal justice system and into the services they need. We do not need to continue measuring success as wins or losses, but instead, by communal and individual healing.
We need to help people find stability by treating underlying issues like: substance abuse, mental illness, poverty, and trauma. In doing so, we reduce the likelihood of individuals reoffending. As the leader of a District Attorney’s office, a DA has the ability to make these changes happen.
In FY 2020, the average annual cost per inmate in Massachusetts was $91,643, which is approximately $200 million a year (MA Department Of Corrections). Massachusetts spends roughly $50 million a year to confine youth for low-level offenses which would be suitable for diversion. A juvenile detention bed costs approximately $82,000 per year (MA Department of Youth Services). Only 3% are serious or chronic offenders. Six leading diversion programs cost-benefit analysis found that every $1 spent on diversion produced savings of $10.60 to $25.60 (Citizens for Juvenile Justice). Imagine the stability we could create in individuals’ lives by preemptively addressing the root causes underlying contact with the criminal justice system, as well as by disrupting the revolving door of our prisons.