washington overcrowd prisons strain state budget take people work force pull families apart reduce crime boost u.s. economy say obama administration study discuss monday experts white house study undertake part president barack obama efforts reform criminal justice system leave office conduct white house council economic advisers focus cost sentence incarceration policies despite fall crime rat u.s. prison populations soar recent decades result harsh federal state-level sentence policies three strike rule offenders much imprison third conviction conservative liberal panelists discuss report monday agree light sentence non-violent offenders low barriers job opportunities prison would address economic problems describe report really money live throw away say arthur brook president american enterprise institute conservative think tank co-hosted event liberal brennan center justice new york university obama push criminal justice reform support end political spectrum bipartisan legislation pending congress would reduce mandatory minimum sentence low-level federal drug crimes propose reform back brennan center-affiliated coalition local law enforcement officer around country agree default response non-violent crimes prison time say center director justice program inimai chettiar panelists say study show exist criminal justice policies counter-productive arena far little actually make sense back specific evidence say peter orszag lead congressional budget office 2007 2008 2.2 million americans behind bar prison rate four time world average justice department say monday expand federal program ensure ex-prisoners skills need find work also access house education financial credit release every federal inmate get individualize re-entry plan tailor risk recidivism ... need say justice department press release u.s. attorneys bureau prisons host 570 events nationwide week re-entry initiatives sentence reform could help u.s. economy white house panel