CALL FOR PAPERS
Special Issue of Criminal Justice and Behavior on
Research to Advance “Smart Decarceration” Policies, Programs, and Interventions
Guest Edited by:
Matt Epperson (University of Chicago)
Amy Blank Wilson (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) and
Gina Fedock (University of Chicago)
Manuscript Submission Deadline: May 31, 2019
Although the United States leads the world in number and proportion of its population incarcerated,
there is evidence that the era of mass incarceration has reached a tipping point. The adult incarceration
rate has declined slightly but steadily since 2009, and key stakeholders, including policymakers,
practitioners, and researchers, call for a new era of decarceration – wherein the use of incarceration
could be significantly reduced. As this period of decarceration begins to take shape, it will be essential
for research to yield evidence that informs “Smart Decarceration” policies and practices that effectively
eliminate/lessen the use of incarceration. Smart Decarceration is defined by three interrelated
outcomes:
1- Substantially reduce the prison and jail populations;
2- Reverse existing disparities (primarily those related to race and behavioral health) among those
incarcerated; and
3- Maximize public safety and well-being, particularly the well-being of communities most
impacted by mass incarceration.
