1. the process or policy of reducing the number of people held in prisons or jails, especially through alternatives to incarceration
Usage: often used in criminal justice and policy contexts

Examples

• Advocates for decarceration argue that rehabilitation programs are more effective than lengthy prison sentences.
• The state implemented a decarceration initiative to reduce overcrowding in its correctional facilities.
• Decarceration efforts include diverting low-level offenders to community-based programs.
• Criminal justice reformers support decarceration as a way to address systemic inequalities in the prison system.
• The city's decarceration strategy focuses on bail reform and alternative sentencing options.