NCJ Number
153125
Date Published
1994
Length
43 pages
Annotation
This document contains results of a survey of prison wardens regarding sentencing patterns and alternatives to incarceration, statements by various political and academic experts on corrections, and newspaper clippings addressing these issues.
Abstract
The survey of prison wardens found that, if they could decide how to allocate an additional $10 million to fight crime in their communities, 57 percent would spend the funding on prevention programs and 43 percent would spend it on law enforcement. Sixty- five percent of responding wardens would opt to impose shorter sentences on nonviolent offenders and longer sentences on violent ones. Fifty-eight percent of the wardens opposed mandatory minimum sentences for drug-related offenses and 92 percent favored greater use of alternatives to incarceration including halfway houses, boot camps, and residential drug treatment programs. Results of another survey showed that inmates believe that drugs and alcohol use, unemployment, family problems, and lack of education are the leading causes of crime.