decarcerate

American  

[dee-kahr-suh-reyt] / diˈkɑr səˌreɪt /

verb (used without object)

1. to pursue policy or actions aimed at reducing the number of people in prison.

   Local judges are making efforts to decarcerate by replacing prison sentences with time in rehabilitation programs.

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verb (used with object)

1. to pursue policy aimed at reducing the number of people in prison in (a country or region).

   We aim to decarcerate our state by repealing mandatory minimum sentencing laws.

2. to free from prison.

   The county has moved to decarcerate prisoners being held for possession of marijuana.

Etymology

Origin of decarcerate

First recorded in 1900–05; de- ( def. ) + (in)carcerate ( def. )

Example Sentences

The U.S. must commit to two broad-scale efforts to secure the rights of this community: decarcerate and evacuate to ensure that the horrors of Orleans Parish Prison are relegated to history.

From Slate • Dec. 16, 2024

Emily Harris, co-director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, said the pandemic “showed us that we can decarcerate quickly and safely,” and is proof that more can and should be done.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2023

“It is not to just keep building more warehouses — the solution is to decarcerate, get people rehabilitated and out of jail.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2021

Iran had a pre-pandemic prison population of about 189,500 in a system of facilities designed to hold fewer than 150,000, and the government failed to take meaningful action to decarcerate upon the arrival of COVID-19.

From Slate • May 6, 2020

These poor human outcomes, and the exorbitant cost – one study by the Prison Policy Institute recent pegged it at $183bn a year – have driven the cross-party push to decarcerate in the US.

From The Guardian • Jun. 5, 2018