The two panels most relevant to the CJPC areas of concern make valuable recommendations which deserve support. They are increased job training and substance abuse counseling within prisons, planning for release for each prisoner early in their period of incarceration rather than only within a few months of release, and increased state responsibility for post release housing and job location. Increased resources devoted to those youth most at risk for offending is another goal which is easy to support, along with increased partnerships between community and law enforcement agencies in delivering these resources. The report also focuses on questionable sentencing practices, particularly for drug offenses. Minimum sentences only one day less than maximum sentences are criticized for providing no incentive to inmates to work towards release while unduly increasing the MA DOC budget, which the report places at one billion dollars yearly.

Notably absent from both the Urban Crime Strategies and the Prisoner Re- Entry and Post Release Supervision reports is any reference to restorative justice techniques which have proven successful in reducing crime and providing a healing and growing context for both offender and victim. Both Minnesota and Vermont have formally integrated these techniques within their criminal justice system, and informally, other communities, including several in Massachusetts, have found positive results from such conflict resolution processes.