What American Prison Reform Could Mean

Prison reform in the United States is a big and sometimes controversial issue. What's the best way to lower the world's largest prison population in a time of severely-limited state and federal budget allocations without running the risk of improperly releasing dangerous criminals?

There's no easy answer, and our March 20 hour on reform tried to dig through some of the heavier issues at hand. We thought guest Brian Mann of North Country Public Radio's Prison Time Media Project did a fantastic job laying out the potential and peril in prison reform.

"[U.S. Attorney General] Eric Holder's working on a number of fronts here," Mann said. ""These are things that would shift tectonically the debate over crime and punishment in America." Ultimately, Mann said, the Attorney General's efforts are aimed at lowering sentences for non-violent drug offenders and curbing the "recycling" of inmates in and out of jail.

"We're seeing a patchwork level of experimentation [in the states]," Mann said.

What do you make of these patchwork prison reform efforts at the federal and state level? Is there a way for bipartisan reform? Let us know in the comments below, or on Facebook, Tumblr and @OnPointRadio.