NCJ Number
192975
Date Published
2002
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This chapter discusses the scope of jail and prison crowding in the United States, along with related court-ordered reform and critical issues for the future.
Abstract
This chapter concludes that jail and prison overcrowding will persist into the 21st century despite the continued proliferation of intermediate sanctions and community corrections. Crime rates will continue to fluctuate, but punishments will remain driven more by political forces than by a documented "crime problem." Criminal justice as a policy priority will diminish, however, as economic conditions command greater attention. There will be an increasingly rule-oriented correctional environment, but fewer lawsuits that challenge jail conditions; basic inmate rights will be upheld, but courts will be increasingly hesitant to institute large-scale reforms. The major advocates of jail reform will be a select group of highly specialized, experienced attorneys. There is also reason to expect more effective and coordinated policy responses based on lessons from the past. Interagency problem solving and initiatives that involve criminal justice, government, and community agencies will increase. As resources dwindle, public officials will be held more accountable for their policies. Further, standards for correctional confinement will continue to become increasingly specific and mandatory; there will be fewer "deviant jails." Over the past 30 years, court orders have raised awareness of jail problems and have created a more receptive climate for sentencing alternatives, public education, and other innovations. Jail and prison overcrowding and court orders have resulted from a dynamic confluence of social, political, and legal forces; and solutions to complex problems are unlikely to be quick or easy. The need for efficient and just policy choices requires a more careful process of problem analysis, policy design, and policy evaluation than ever before. 89 references