NCJ Number
216275
Journal
Corrections Today Magazine Volume: 68 Issue: 6 Dated: October 2006 Pages: 92-93,97
Date Published
October 2006
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article presents recent research findings on whether higher incarceration rates lead to lower crime rates.
Abstract
Research findings from two recent studies indicate that increasing incarceration rates do not lead to a reduction in crime and may, in fact, work to increase the crime rate. Studies of both State-level and county-level prison and reported crime data spanning from 1972 through 2000 revealed that the effect of prison growth on crime diminished as the scale of imprisonment grew and, in fact, once the incarceration rate reached a certain point, crime rates actually increased. The findings contradict research results from the 1970s and 1980s that found that increases in incarceration rates lead to decreases in crime rates. However, the authors point out that during the 1970s and 1980s the types of offenders being confined to prison were primarily violent and property offenders, which had an impact on the violent and property crime rates. During the 1990s, criminal justice policy widened the prison net and more low-level and drug-related offenders were being imprisoned at the same time that average prison sentences were being increased. The authors point out that, first, the average criminal career is relatively short and so not much is accomplished by confining low-level offenders to lengthy prison terms. Second, the longer an offender is in prison, the greater the consequences of imprisonment; consequences that range from family disruption to trouble finding employment, which could lead to further criminal activity. The authors note that the recent trend toward increased incarceration has indeed had an impact on society, just not the impact that was intended. Endnotes, references