NCJ Number
182526
Date Published
1997
Length
203 pages
Annotation
Intended specifically for criminology and criminal justice students, this book provides a brief history of the use of prisons and jails in the United States and then presents a State-by-State description of State-operated and Federal correctional facilities, along with the prison population for each State and the Federal Government as of January 1, 1996.
Abstract
An overview of State and Federal prison systems notes that tough sentencing laws and prison-building programs in many States have produced a staggering increase in U.S. prison populations. An estimated 1,585,500 people were incarcerated in the United States in 1995. Prisoners in State and Federal custody accounted for two-thirds of the incarcerated population. The female prison population has increased at a greater rate than the male prison population, tripling in the 1980's. This trend reflects stricter mandatory-sentence laws in many States for drug-related and violent crimes as well as tougher sentencing rules, which have restricted the use of parole. On average, the Nation added 1,725 new prison beds each week over the 12-month period. The previous record for added inmates was 84,764 in 1989. Overall, the author concludes that the prison system in the United States is a growing business, a pressing public concern, an economic windfall for the construction industry, a legalistic "minefield," and a political bombshell. Two tables rank States by the size of their prison populations (January 1995) and by the number of adult crimes committed in 1993. The State-by-State information on State-operated correctional facilities covers each facility's location, date opened, capacity, and average daily population. The same information is provided for Federal correctional facilities and U.S. military facilities.