The Justice Imperative: How Hyper-Incarceration Has Hijacked The American Dream

Progressive Prison Project

Innocent Spouse & Children Project 

Greenwich, Connecticut

The Justice Imperative: How Hyper-Incarceration

 Has Hijacked The American Dream

By Brian E. Moran and the Malta Justice Initiative

 

 We are honored to be among thirty Connecticut criminal justice professionals called together to write and edit this important book. It exposes in great detail the truth about the Connecticut criminal justice and prison process, and how we are all paying for it.  It also gives specific recommendations as to how we, and our legislators, can make effective changes immediately. We urge all of our friends, colleagues and readers to order and read this book. Please order individual copies through Amazon and group copies through the book website, thejusticeimperative.org. Thank you. - Jeff 

The U.S. has become the world’s leading jailer, housing 22.4% of the world’s inmates, but has only 4.6% of its population.

MYTH: The staggering, budget-breaking price tag of this hyper-incarceration is justified by our low crime rates.

REALITY: Connecticut’s prison population has soared from 3,800 to 17,000 since 1980, mostly with non-violent drug users. Annual spending on prisons now exceeds $1 billion at $51,000/year to house each inmate. Yet, hyper-incarceration has a negligible impact on public safety.

Over 95% of Connecticut’s prisoners are eventually released, most without adequate supervision, and ill-equipped to succeed on the outside. Well over half end up back in prison. We need to stop this revolving door.

The state’s failure to rehabilitate its offenders exacts an enormous cost on our state budget and a devastating human toll that is crippling our cities. The current system is not sustainable.

The Justice Imperative: Reforms in states like Texas and Oregon demonstrate that Connecticut can slash costs, lower recidivism, increase public safety and create better and more productive lives for ex-offenders and their families.

Connecticut, what are you waiting for? ACT ON THE JUSTICE IMPERATIVE.

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About Brian E. Moran and the Malta Justice Initiative

Brian E. Moran is a partner in the law firm of Robinson + Cole LLP. He is a civil litigator specializing in antitrust, intellectual property, licensing and other commercial disputes.

He has co-written two business books, The Executive’s Antitrust Guide To Pricing: Understanding Implications of Typical Marketing, Distribution and Pricing Practices (2013), published by Thomson Reuters, and E-Counsel: The Executive’s Legal Guide to Electronic Commerce (2000).

He is the founder of The Success Foundation, a non-profit that has run summer study programs on college campuses for low-income ninth graders with college potential. In 2006, the Foundation’s Students Undertaking College Career Enhancing Study Skills^TM Program received a Gold CQIA Innovation Prize from The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership, Inc. CQIA is Connecticut’s Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Partner.

Mr. Moran received a B.A. with distinction from the University of Virginia and a J.D. degree from the University of Richmond School of Law.

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The Malta Justice Initiative (MJI) is a sponsored work of the Order of Malta. Prison ministry is the core mission of MJI. MJI provides support, including visitation and instruction, to the incarcerated to help them lead faith-focused and productive lives.

MJI is a separate 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. It is subject to general oversight by the Order of Malta. The Order of Malta—technically The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta—is one of the oldest institutions of Western and Christian civilization. The Order constitutes the sole unbroken continuation of the order of the Hospital of St. John, recognized in 1113. Present in Palestine in around 1050 to provide medical care for pilgrims to the Holy Land, it is a lay religious order. Its 13,500 members are devoted to the exercise of Christian virtue and charity. The Order provides assistance to the poor and the suffering. The Order of Malta is a sovereign subject under international law, with its own constitution, passports, stamps and public institutions. Today, the Order carries out its charitable works in over 120 countries and does so without regard for religion, race, gender or national origin.

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Progressive Prison Project/
Innocent Spouse & Children Project 

at Christ Church Greenwich 254 East Putnam Avenue
Greenwich, Conecticut 06830

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1232, Weston, Connecticut 06883

Central Ministry & Office: Weston, Connecticut

Rev. Jeff Grant, JD, M Div, Minister/Director
jgrant@prisonist.org
(o) +1203.769.1096
(m) +1203.339.5887

Lynn Springer, Advocate, Innocent Spouses & Children
lspringer@prisonist.org
(m) +1203.536.5508

George Bresnan, Advocate
gbresnan@prisonist.org