Delaware currently has the highest rate of incarceration in the Mid-Atlantic region – and nearly double the national rate between 1978 and 2015.
And while states like New York and New Jersey have shown a dramatic decline in their prison populations since the late 1990s, Delaware’s population has remained steady. A Department of Correction annual report cites close to 23,000 people in its system as of June 30th of last year.
The ACLU of Delaware hosted a discussion on prison reform this week, featuring David Fathi, Director of the ACLU National Prison Project. Delaware Public Media’s Megan Pauly interviewed Fathi for The Green.