Belgium’s government has announced it will abolish prison sentences less than one year, a move intended partly to reduce the country’s bloated, expensive criminal justice system. The country’s justice minister, Koen Geens, said short prison sentences “rarely lead to good results,” and actually makes it harder for incarcerated people to eventually become full participants in society. Geens’ comments echo a growing body of research that challenges the effectiveness of short-term sentences.

Belgium’s abolishment of short-term sentences is the latest front in the global prison reform movement. Much of the movement is being driven by financial pressures. But it’s also being driven by a sense of human rights. In 2011, a U.S. State Department report said prison overcrowding was one of Belgium’s two main primary challenges, in addition to racial and religious discrimination.

In the U.S., the prison reform movement has been gaining momentum since the Great Recession. It’s also being driven by an unusual coalition of religious and fiscal conservatives, and liberals. In recent weeks, the Obama administration has outlined a broad vision to overhaul America's criminal justice system. But on the issue of prisons, the key question is: will the U.S. follow Belgium’s lead?

Original article from TakePart