NCJ Number
102038
Journal
Howard Journal Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Dated: (May 1986) Pages: 125-136
Date Published
1986
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The size of the prison population varies enormously from one jurisdiction to another, due to marked differences both in the extent to which imprisonment is used and in the average length of prison sentences.
Abstract
This article reviews many of the studies which have sought an explanation for these variations and considers the theories which they have proposed or tested. It concludes that neither 'deterministic' nor 'policy choice' explanations have proved satisfactory, and suggests that detailed cross-cultural research on prison rates, which focuses upon not only the impact of quantitative demographic and socioeconomic variables but also the effect of different criminal justice structures and policies, is now required. (Author abstract)