NCJ Number
123706
Date Published
1990
Length
132 pages
Annotation
This report presents the analysis, findings, and recommendations of the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Inmate Population Management regarding prison and jail overcrowding in the State.
Abstract
The commission concludes that despite an unprecedented prison and jail building program, California prisons, jails, and youth facilities will be more or only slightly less overcrowded in the next decades than they are today. The commission advises that without changes in correctional policies and practices, prison overcrowding will be a major State and local government issue into the next century. The commission's primary finding is that the California criminal justice system is out of balance. Punishment options must be expanded to reduce overcrowding without sacrificing public safety. The commission presents 38 recommendations in subject areas that include substance abuse, parole violators, sentencing, short-term inmates, construction, and community corrections. These recommendations are a start for policy and program changes that will be necessary to restore balance to the corrections system without compromising public safety. The commission suggests methods by which some of the costs of this effort may be met with existing resources; however, additional funding must be a priority in the State's budget considerations. Glossary, 28 footnotes.