Delaware will conduct a federally funded, six-month study of its criminal justice system to find ways to curb prison growth and keep convicts from committing new crimes.
The U.S. Justice Department picked Delaware as a “Justice Reinvestment” site to evaluate the current system.
Gov. Jack Markell established a task force Monday that will suggest ways to reduce recidivism and improve public safety.
Markell says the goal is to find ways to control the rising costs of correcting bad behavior.
Over the past 10 years, the costs for taxpayers to support the state's criminal justice system have jumped.
Despite cutbacks in recent years, the Department of Correction's $254 million budget for the 2012 fiscal year is up 40 percent from 2002.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
