NCJ Number
149867
Date Published
1994
Length
26 pages
Annotation
Patterns of jail overcrowding in five U.S. cities are examined in the context of social sanitation and social and correctional reform.
Abstract
The jail population in the United States increased by 77 percent between 1983 and 1989. As of June 1990, the average daily population in U.S. jails totaled 408,075, a 5.5-percent increase over 1989. Consequently, overcrowding is one of the most pressing problems facing jails. Individuals who go to jail are disproportionately poor, young, black or Hispanic, uneducated, and unemployed. They frequently have drug abuse problems and reside in urban neighborhoods. The effects of jail overcrowding, viewed in the context of social sanitation, are more severe in jails than in prisons, primarily because jails are designed for short-term confinement and there is little emphasis on long- range routines for inmates. Studies indicate that overcrowding affects both jail inmates and staff and that overcrowding causes numerous institutional problems. Ways in which jails in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and Miami coped with overcrowding are described. Because of the interconnection between jail policies and social forces, the author recommends that awareness of social problems in cities be expanded, that employment and educational programs developed for inner-city residents, and that jail reforms be implemented. 52 references and 3 tables