decarcerate
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
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.
-
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
We think we can decarcerate with easy choices.
From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2022
“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
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
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
