A guide from Prison Policy Initiative provides resources for people working to prevent unneeded jail expansion. The guide includes questions that investigate the reasons for overcrowding, ranging from pretrial confinement to unaffordable fines and unaddressed mental health concerns. Prison Policy Initiative, a grantee, proposes best practices to address those issues and safely reduce jail populations, including creating alternatives for low-level offenses and parole violations, reforming fines and fees, and supporting treatment options for substance abuse and mental illness.
