Vital federal funding that supports a variety of crime-prevention
strategies, treatment programs, and innovative initiatives in our
communities has decreased by 43 percent since 2010, according to a recent survey
conducted by the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) and National Criminal
Justice Association (NCJA). The survey examines the impact those cuts
have on essential programs and staffing levels across the nation.
The second annual survey of state and local criminal justice
practitioners was conducted to gain insight into the impact of these
budget cuts, both those enacted as well as those still to come. The
survey received more than 1,200 responses from all sectors of the
criminal justice community, including law enforcement, the judicial
system, corrections and community corrections, juvenile justice and
prevention programs, victim assistance programs, and social services. It
found that more than 75 percent of respondents reported funding cuts
that led to workforce reductions, salary freezes, and drastic curtailing
of the services they provide. For example, of the 346 law enforcement
respondents, 75 percent saw a cut in funding between 1 and 25 percent.
Because of these cuts, 64 percent reported reduction in staffing, 63
percent reported a reduction in services provided, and 58 percent
reported pay freezes.
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