NCJ Number
161577
Journal
Keepers' Voice Volume: 17 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1996) Pages: 32-36
Date Published
1996
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines whether or not early release programs can reduce overcrowded prison populations without compromising public safety.
Abstract
Early release programs, whereby inmates are released from prison prior to serving their full sentence, are controversial methods of alleviating prison overcrowding. The public is suspicious of these programs, particularly as crime appears to be more threatening. Early release programs are, at best, temporary solutions to the problem of prison overcrowding. They are considered by policymakers to be "emergency-only options"; however, they do have some significant benefits. First, they provide immediate relief for overcrowded prisons. Second, most States can easily establish policies regarding inmate behavior and parole to facilitate the process. Increasing prison capacity to relieve overcrowding, on the other hand, is a time-consuming and potentially difficult alternative. Studies show that even assuming that the relatively small number of inmates released each year are responsible for a "substantial number of society's crimes," then prevention through further incapacitation is feasible only by lengthening prison terms by years for high-risk inmates. Hence, the use of a system of classification when selecting prisoners for early release will have a direct and significant influence on the extent of crime attributable to early release. A number of studies have shown that carefully selected early-release inmates were less likely to commit violent crimes after they were released. Overall, studies of early release programs show that carefully designed programs can relieve prison overcrowding without significantly increasing the public's risk of criminal victimization. 11 references