Police are the “gatekeepers” of America’s criminal justice system and can help reduce local jail use, according to a report from the Vera Institute of Justice. In 2016, 99 percent of arrests led to a jail admission—compared to 70 percent in 1994. Only five percent of those arrests are for serious offenses. The MacArthur-supported report highlights enforcement alternatives that can reduce arrests and incarceration for minor violations, including issuing a warning, cite and release, and community-based treatment.
