decarceration

American  

[dee-kahr-suh-rey-shuhn] / diˌkɑr səˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of freeing a person or people from prison.

   One goal of the project is the decarceration of youth in California.

2. policy or actions intended to reduce the number of people in prison.

   Community food projects can play a role in decarceration.

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Etymology

Origin of decarceration

First recorded in 1960–65; de- ( def. ) + (in)carceration ( def. )

Example Sentences

Those practices, which balance the need for decarceration with public safety concerns, can be applied here, including refusing to jail people for technical violations or commuting sentences for those with less than six months left.

From Slate

“Both the extreme that we’ve been living with of decarceration, which says that certain crimes and certain criminals will not be prosecuted, as well as the extremes of mass incarceration.”

From Los Angeles Times

There were deeper problems with the proposal, such as the fact that the costs of decarceration fall on rural communities that house prisons while the grants were aimed at urban communities, creating a politically difficult disconnect between costs and benefits.

From Slate

High, a charter school affiliated with decarceration activists at the Los Angeles-based Youth Justice Coalition.

From Los Angeles Times

“We need accountability for the horrific conditions, more urgency put to decarceration through connection to services and finally closing Men’s Central Jail,” Parris said.

From Los Angeles Times