We funded a pilot to bring a Nordic-style restorative justice model to a prison in PA and assess its impact. The question was whether it could work within a vastly different criminal justice system.
Initial results are so promising that PA is expanding the program to 3 more prisons. In the long run, reducing recidivism (currently at 64%) will likely determine its broader adoption. But already, it has become the safest and most sought-after unit for inmates and guards alike.
95% of state prisoners will eventually return to their communities. Prisons must do more to maximize the chance of successful reintegration. Productive programming and humane living conditions are a necessary component of that.
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For more background, here's my tweet about the original pilot.
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John Arnold
@JohnArnoldFndtn
This week I had the opportunity to visit SCI Chester, a state prison outside Philly, to see one of the most interesting experiments in incarceration.
Given that 95% of inmates will eventually be released, it's imperative that time spent in prison is rehabilitative and promotes
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Please tell me that this is pre-registered and the study design is public? We desperately need effective interventions in this area.
i havent confirmed but it's a requirement for all of our research grants.
DC Councilmember Trayon White Sr. arrested for accepting $156,000 in bribes to influence city contracts. Accused of using his position to push for contract renewals worth millions, White faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
A justice system rooted in retribution is being confronted with one that prioritizes restoration. The question isn’t whether it works (the data is promising), but whether we can expand our cultural imagination enough to accept it.
Given the data at least in Scandinavia why hasn’t there been a wider push in the criminal justice system?
Will you evaluate the effect on deterrence once it gets baked into expectations?
I’m curious what acceptance rates of this model look like at the level of the prisoner and affected community. Do prisoners really want to get reintegrated into society (similar to how some homeless reject society outright)? Do communities that could accept reformed criminals
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This would be an excellent platform for Democrats to run on in 2028 (especially if PA governor Shapiro runs). Nobody would deny that American prisons set inmates up for failure after their release. Some California prisons have tried these reforms as well to great success.
Big congrats, John. Oregon has done similar work with Norway and in partnership with UCSF’s Amend program. They did a trial published in PLOS One in case you didn’t see it:
journals.plos.org/plosone/articl
New work here is focusing on end of life care in prison.
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Well done, John! Would love to see other folks that crushed it give back like this.
When the government gets out of the way and entrepreneurs take the wheel, businesses thrive. Brock Hutchinson, founder of Big Frig, knows that there is no better place to root his company and execute his vision.
, your initiative to explore restorative justice models shows remarkable potential for transforming our correctional system. have you considered expanding further? 
#justicereform
#justicereform