Here's the Georgia policy brief and here's the Washington policy brief. Both were written by Jennifer Peirce, Madeline Bailey, and Shahd Elbushra. The research on which the briefs was based is by researchers at the University of Georgia and Washington State University, Pullman (Jennifer Schwartz and Jennifer Sherman).
A new report by the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) shows that punitive penalties for not meeting system rules are driving jail incarceration in rural Washington, not violent or dangerous charges. What’s more, the state’s mandatory arrest policy for domestic violence calls is likely having a significant negative impact on women: most jail bookings for assault are related to domestic violence, and these charges are the second most common reason that women were jailed.Georgia
The report draws on data from five participating counties analyzed by Washington State University (WSU), highlighting an often-overlooked problem. While Washington state has one of the lowest jail incarceration rates in the United States, the number of people in rural Washington county jails on the eastern side of the state has not declined. Charges like failure to appear for court and driving with a suspended license, due to unpaid fines, missed child support payments or minor traffic infractions, are among top reasons that Washington’s rural residents are being jailed. Assault charges also stand out in jail rosters, the majority of which are misdemeanors related to domestic violence.
The disparate impact of the justice system is also evident in the data from Washington’s rural counties: both Black and Indigenous people are overrepresented in jail admissions.
This analysis highlights an opportunity for state and local policymakers to address unnecessary criminalization of poor and vulnerable people and reduce jail populations. Vera’s policy recommendations include expanding the use of citations in lieu of arrest, reducing the use of money bail, curtailing prosecutions and criminal penalties for poverty related issues, eliminating mandatory arrest for domestic violence calls, and providing support and services to avoid unnecessary jail time and address root problems.
A new report by the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) shows that punitive responses to probation, drug use, and poverty are driving jail incarceration in rural Georgia, leading to high rates of jail incarceration and stark racial disparities.
The research, which is based on the University of Georgia’s analysis of jail roster data from seven rural Georgia counties (Decatur, Early, Greene, Habersham, Sumter, Towns, Treutlen) reveals that 83 to 93 percent of jail admissions were for nonviolent charges. Notably, drug possession charges, particularly cannabis possession, in the state are more common than drug trafficking charges. Probation violations and traffic-related offenses also stand out in the jail data, with a significant number of charges related to driving on a suspended license.
The impact of probation on Georgia jail populations is no surprise, given that the Peach State also has the country’s highest rate of people on probation, with more than 350,000 (1 in 19) adults on probation or parole supervision. Harsh enforcement of probation conditions is likely sending a significant number of people to jail for not abiding by stringent conditions of probation, and this contributes to longer stays in jail.
Racial disparities in jail incarceration are stark in all seven counties, with the proportion of Black people being booked into jails far exceeding the Black percentage of the county population.
In each of the counties, the combined number of violent and DUI charges make up a quarter or less of jail admissions. While these cases often do have public safety implications, the details are likely more complicated. More than 90 percent of the violent charges landing people in jail were assault and battery charges, 19 to 60 percent of which were domestic violence–related. Assault and battery charges can encompass misdemeanors to serious felonies, with penalties ranging from 1-20 years of incarceration. What’s more, national evidence suggests that people arrested on domestic violence related charges are often themselves survivors of domestic violence.
In total, this research reflects the degree to which current system rules and available resources discourage safe alternatives to jail detention. Vera calls on state and local policymakers to reduce rural jail incarceration, by overhauling Georgia’s probation system, strengthening pretrial services, eliminating penalties for driving with a suspended license, and investing in behavioral health resources rather than bigger jails.
Earlier posts about the Vera Institute and its work on the rural jails boom are here.
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