從美國喬治亞州最近的刑事司法改革談獄政創新

Recent Georgia Criminal Justice Reform and Prison Reform

美國喬治亞州從2011年起到現在，逐步進行階段性的司法與獄政改革，本研究針對此改革，探討其背景、發展、執行，及目前結果的評估。這項喬州刑事司法革新的理論基礎，是建立在Tucker和Cadora於2003年所提出的「司法再投資」的觀點。他們認為與獄政有關的花費，可以透過降低監禁受刑人的數量，進而減少監獄營運支出，並以此所產生的節餘，投資到社區矯治，提供更有效監督的處遇項目給非暴力，低風險的犯罪者，使他們成功復歸社會。此改革觀點受到州長、立法會兩黨議員，與刑事司法專業人員的強力支持。改革的努力迄今包括：設立刑事司法改革委員會；變更刑法和少年法的法條；建立更多的責任法庭來處理吸毒和患有精神病的罪犯；提高成年和少年犯記錄保存的自動化；和擴展更多元的矯正項目，以強化對緩刑犯的監管和處遇，並協助釋放後的更生人重新進入工作職場。改革結果的初步檢驗顯示，成年監禁人口數減少約四千人，估計這可以節省每個月六百萬美元的支出。同時間少年犯被法官判刑至監禁處遇的人數下降62%，少年監禁人口總數也降低了14%。另外成年犯與少年犯等待移轉到監獄或少年拘留所的時間也同時縮短。這些目前初步的效益也提示了今後在司法與獄政改革的一個方向。 This study examines the background, development, and enactment of criminal justice reforms conducted recently in the state of Georgia, USA. The examination and analysis attempt to provide a comprehensive review of the reform from the beginning stage in early 2011 to the present. The reform is based on the Justice Reinvestment (JR) ideas initially proposed by Tucker and Cadora in 2003. This JR perspective maintains that criminal justice expenditures in correctional facilities and operations can be reduced by diverting offenders to community-based programs. The financial savings can subsequently be re-directed to programs focusing on planned supervision and rehabilitation of non-violent, low-risk offenders. The JR framework has been supported strongly by the Governor, legislators, and criminal justice professionals in the state. Reform efforts so far have included: the creation of the criminal justice reform council; statutory changes to both the criminal and juvenile codes; creation of more accountability courts to handle drug and mentally ill offenders; enhanced automation of record keeping of adult and juvenile offenders; and expansion in diverse community-based programs to monitor treatments of probationers and assist released prisoners with their reentry into the work place. Initial evaluations of the reform have shown that the number of adult prisoners has decreased, resulting in an estimated monthly savings of more than 6 million dollars. Juvenile offenders sentenced by judges to detention centers have decreased by 62%, and the total number of detainees was also reduced by 14%. Additionally, the time waiting for transfer to adult prisons or juvenile detention centers has been shortened. These positive, though tentative, results may suggest a direction for criminal justice/prison reformers to consider in the years to come.