State Reform Profile
West Virginia
West Virginia faces an opioid crisis driving incarceration. Recovery-based courts and treatment mandates are key reforms.
Key Statistics
Incarceration by Race
Incarceration rate per 100,000 residents. Racial estimates based on BJS/Sentencing Project methodology.
Recidivism Rate
Percent of people reincarcerated within 3 years of release. Source: BJS recidivism data series.
Cost vs. Alternatives
Active & Passed Reforms
3 initiativesSB 334 – Drug Court ExpansionView full details →
Expanded recovery courts to all 55 counties.
HB 4007 – Diversion ReformView full details →
Created pre-trial diversion for first-time drug offenders.
Second Chance for EmploymentView full details →
Employer incentives and record sealing for employment purposes.
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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