When Delaware Governor Jack Markell convened the Justice Reinvestment Task Force in the summer of 2011, the state was facing a high violent crime rate, crowded prisons, and budget shortfalls. By the time he signed the Justice Reinvestment Act (Senate Bill 226) in August 2012, Delaware had joined a growing number of states committed to instituting evidence-based practices shown to reduce recidivism, increase public safety and contain corrections costs. This brief examines the findings and recommendations of the task force as well as the key provisions of the resulting legislation. Delaware’s justice reinvestment efforts have been supported by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance with technical assistance provided by the Center for Sentencing and Corrections at the Vera Institute of Justice.
