A report from the Square One Project examines the label “violent offender” and how it contributes to a punitive justice system. “Violent offender” fails to reflect the reality of people’s interaction with the criminal justice system and tends to increase incarceration disproportionately to crimes. The report, released as part of Columbia University’s MacArthur-supported Executive Session on the Future of Justice Policy, recommends reconsidering the label and basing terminology in empirical evidence.
