Hawaii lawmakers are hearing from legal experts about a national project designed to increase public safety, reduce prison spending and create alternate criminal justice strategies.

Two people from the Department of Justice’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative will brief state legislators Tuesday.

Senate Public Safety Chairman Will Espero said he hopes to be able to reverse a national trend of imprisoning more residents at increasing costs.

He said more than 2.4 million Americans are now in prisons and jails, costing the country more than $70 billion.

The Justice Reinvestment Initiative uses extensive collection and analysis of crime statistics, correction procedures and resources to help reduce corrections spending and redirect savings to alternate criminal justice strategies.