For good reasons, we spend a lot of time talking about public safety in the United States today. With images of police in riot gear and cities looking like foreign war zones this past summer, much of the conversation has turned toward restoring trust among law enforcement and the communities they serve. Yet one solution to this issue is often overlooked: Ending the practice of mass incarceration.

Mass incarceration, a dominant strategy in criminal justice over the last few decades, has locked up millions of criminals, many of whom are non-violent or have minor offenses. The latest Department of Justice figures show almost 7 million Americans are under some form of correctional supervision. Breaking down the numbers further, about 1 percent of adults are behind bars, with black men facing incarceration rates that are six times greater than those of white men. The question must be raised as to whether simply locking people up is smart policy.