Criminal Justice Reform

At the end of 2016, there were more than 1.51 million people incarcerated in state and federal prisons in the U.S. Many of them are people battling addiction, who were arrested for non-violent crimes. On average, the Federal Bureau of Prisons reports incarcerations cost American taxpayers more than $48 billion annually.

Clearly, prisons are necessary to keep violent criminals off the streets, but prison is no place for those suffering from addiction or mental illness. Instead of locking up these people with hardcore criminals, we should focus on helping them to become healthy, productive members of society.

At Gingrich 360, we support exploring better ways to solve our incarceration problem through substance abuse courts, accountability programs, and diversionary systems that could help offenders get clean and ensure that they are able to rejoin their communities as productive members. Ultimately, this will lead to fewer crimes, safer neighborhoods, and a happier, more prosperous society.