Rhode Island
Overview
Over the next ten years, Rhode Island’s prison population is projected to grow an additional 21 percent at a cost of $300 million in operating expenses. This growth is being propelled largely by the size of the probation population – over 3 percent of all adults in Rhode Island are under probation supervision with sentences averaging 5 years, and in some cases exceeding 10 years. In recent years, state policymakers have demonstrated their commitment to pursuing a justice reinvestment strategy – legislative leaders and the governor’s office are expected to introduce a comprehensive set of bills focusing on corrections and re-entry issues in the 2007 legislative session.