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State Reform Profile

Rhode Island

Rhode Island is a national leader in naloxone distribution and MAT in jails, dramatically reducing overdose deaths post-release.

ALTREFORM COMPOSITE86/100

Key Statistics

Incarceration Rate
171
per 100,000 residents
Annual Cost
$57K
per incarcerated person
3-Year Recidivism
52%
reincarcerated within 3 yrs
Racial Disparity
5.6×
Black vs. White incarceration
Alt. Programs
24
active diversion programs
Reform Initiatives
8
tracked by AltReform

Incarceration by Race

RI Overall171
National Avg568
Black (est.)575
White (est.)60

Incarceration rate per 100,000 residents. Racial estimates based on BJS/Sentencing Project methodology.

Recidivism Rate

52%3-year recidivism
This stateNational avg: 67%

Percent of people reincarcerated within 3 years of release. Source: BJS recidivism data series.

Cost vs. Alternatives

$57K
incarceration/yr
vs.
~$5K
diversion/yr

Active & Passed Reforms

3 initiatives

In-Jail MAT ProgramView full details →

First state to offer medication-assisted treatment in all correctional facilities.

ActiveDrug Policy2016
AltReform Score94/100

Question 1 – Marijuana LegalizationView full details →

Legalized recreational marijuana.

PassedDrug Policy2022
AltReform Score83/100

Restorative Justice InitiativeView full details →

Restorative justice programs as alternatives to prosecution.

ActiveDiversion2019
AltReform Score81/100

Data Sources & Methodology

Reform data sourced from state legislative records, BJS Criminal Justice Statistics, the Vera Institute Incarceration Trends dataset, and The Sentencing Project. AltReform prediction scores (0,100) are generated by our ML model trained on 20+ years of state-level reform outcomes, weighting recidivism reduction, racial equity impact, cost-effectiveness, and political feasibility. Statistics are the most recent available (2021,2024).

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