NCJ Number
179260
Date Published
November 1998
Length
3 pages
Annotation
New inmate and parole population projections from the California Department of Corrections (CDC) assume that the inmate population will reach 208,000 by June 30, 2004, an increase of more than 30 percent over the 6-year projection period, but a lower projected level of growth than in the CDC's Spring 1998 forecast.
Abstract
The CDC attributes these differences to a lower rate of return of parolees to prison for parole violations or new crimes. However, the parole population is estimated to increase more rapidly than CDC has anticipated. The Fall 1998 projections assume that the parole caseload will increase 24 percent over the 6-year period to a total of 135,000 by June 30, 2004. These latest projections suggest that the California legislature and administration will need to undertake future efforts in 1999 to accommodate future growth in the inmate population. Such efforts should emphasize a balanced approach, weighted almost evenly between adding new prison capacity and enacting policy changes that would reduce the expected inmate population increase. Table