Crime itself has a terrible human cost……and a serious economic cost. But appropriate punishment… shouldn’t obscure the vast deficiencies in the criminal-justice system…. The U.S. rate of incarceration, with nearly one of every 100 adults in prison or jail, is five to 10 times higher than the rates in Western Europe and other democracies…. Long sentences have had at best a marginal impact on crime reduction. This is not only a serious humanitarian and social issue, but one with profound economic and fiscal consequences…. For the more than 600,000 people who leave prison and re-enter society every year, finding employment can be a severe challenge…. Up to 60% of formerly incarcerated people are unemployed one year after release…. It’s no surprise that 43% of people released from prison end up back behind bars within three years, according to a recent Pew study on recidivism. The costs of incarceration extend across generations. Nearly three million American children have a parent in prison or jail…. There is widespread bipartisan agreement that we are using prison for too many crimes and for too long…. The time has come to make sensible reform in these four areas—sentencing, parole, rehabilitation and re-entry—a national priority…