Use of Task Forces to Develop Strategies to Alleviate Prison Crowding: An Analysis of Their Recommendations and the Development of a Typology of Task Force Activities

• NCJ Number: 132631
• Journal: Journal of Crime and Justice Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: (1990) Pages: 1-28
• Author(s): S E Skovron; B Simms
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 28 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This report analyzes the formation, composition, and structure of task forces created in the United States to develop policy recommendations and strategies to alleviate prison crowding.

Abstract

As of 1986, the majority of States have used task forces to develop policies to reduce prison crowding. This paper provides further information on, and analysis of, the use of these State prison crowding task forces. The typology of the task forces and the recommendations issued by these task forces are presented as well as the effectiveness of the task forces in having their recommendations implemented. The backgrounds of task force chairpersons and members are also analyzed in light of the relationship between background type and type of policies recommended and effectiveness of the implementation of those policies. The types of recommendations analyzed are release recommendations, community corrections recommendations, prison construction recommendations, sentencing recommendations, and other miscellaneous recommendations. The types of task forces discovered are action-oriented, mixed type, and advisory. The paper concludes with a discussion of the effectiveness of each of these types of task forces. 5 tables, 15 footnotes, and 30 references (Author abstract modified)