Working Prisons
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We believe that in a fair and effective criminal justice system, offenders are held to account, sentences are proportionate, and the primary purpose of prison is rehabilitation not retribution. We want to see:
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a reduction in unnecessary imprisonment through greater use of non-custodial alternatives
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the improvement of prison conditions and the prevention of torture and ill-treatment
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child-friendly criminal justice systems which use detention only as a last resort
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proportionate and gender-sensitive responses to women offending
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the abolition of the death penalty and the introduction of humane alternative sanctions.
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The Reimagining Prison Project
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There is widespread consensus that we should end mass incarceration and transform the way we treat people who are incarcerated. The Reimagining Prison Project aims to produce such a plan—it envisions a smaller correctional system that places human dignity at its philosophical and operational core and also promotes public safety, successful reentry, and transparency.
Washington State Institute for Public Policy
WSIPP’s mission is to carry out practical, non-partisan research—at legislative direction—on issues of importance to Washington State.