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Sentencing Reform

Polls continuously show that the public supports sentencing reform and prefers shorter sentences aimed towards rehabilitation.  And there is good reason. Harsh sentences do little to deter crime, but do make it harder for those re-entering society after incarceration to resume or start productive lives.

The Brennan Center seeks to promote rational sentencing approaches by combining qualitative and quantitative research, scholarship, and policy advocacy to address the racially disparate effects of discretionary prosecutorial decisions on sentencing outcomes in the federal system and, through our Community Oriented Defender Network, to promote innovative defender agencies addressing racially disparate sentencing and promoting productive alternatives to incarceration.