National justice research organization points to better use of effective strategies as basis for improving public safety and decreasing incarceration.

According to an August, 2007 Policy Brief of the Justice Policy Institute, the United States leads the world in the number people incarcerated in federal and state correctional facilities. There are currently almost 2.5 million people in American prisons and jails. Overall, individuals incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails report significantly lower levels of educational attainment than do those in the general population. Research has shown a relationship between high school graduation rates and crime rates, and a relationship between educational attainment and the likelihood of incarceration