NCJ Number
137709
Date Published
1992
Length
32 pages
Annotation
With more than 1 million persons in U.S. prisons and jails in 1992, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. This booklet presents facts on sentencing and corrections policies and to suggest ways of promoting a safe, affordable, and fair criminal justice system.
Abstract
In fiscal year 1991, the United States spent $20.1 billion to build, operate, and maintain the prison system, and State and local governments picked up almost the entire cost. At the beginning of 1991, 40 States, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico were under court order for prison overcrowding and/or unconstitutional conditions. As of January 1991, probation authorities were responsible for 59.7 percent of offenders under some form of correctional supervision. Parole authorities were responsible for 15.5 percent of the offender population, and prisons and jails housed 24.8 percent. The booklet points out that policy changes over the past decade have led to larger prison populations. These changes involve "tough on crime" attitudes, large increases in spending on law enforcement relative to other components of the criminal justice system, mandatory sentencing laws, and longer sentences. Individuals who go to prison are characterized in terms of offense type, criminal history, and demography. The burdening effect of drug law enforcement on the criminal justice system is examined, along with the recommended use of a continuum of punishments that includes probation, community-based sanctions, and incarceration only for the most serious offenders. Public attitudes toward the criminal justice system and the use of community-based sanctions are discussed. A list of quotes and resources is provided.