John Pfaff was quoted in and contributed data for a New York Times article about President Obama’s plan to downsize prisons.
Federal agencies can encourage policy changes at the state and local level by granting or threatening to withhold money. But federal money has accounted for a small portion of state and local criminal justice budgets, according research by John Pfaff, a professor at Fordham University. “It’s generally viewed as a state and local issue,” Mr. Pfaff said.
Even influence over states would not necessarily sway local prosecutors, who typically have broad autonomy and have played a key role driving prison growth by choosing to prosecute more crimes, Mr. Pfaff said.