NCJ Number
174748
Date Published
1996
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This report examines different strategies considered by Minnesota for dealing with an unprecedented growth in the number of prison inmates.
Abstract
The simplest and costliest response is to build new prisons, but more and more policymakers are questioning the wisdom of this option during a time of limited public resources. Other possible options, few of which are easy or cheap, include: (1) adjusting sentencing and reducing prison time served by some offenders; (2) expanding use of nonprison, community-based penalties; (3) acquiring more short-term and long-term prison space; and (4) investing in strategies to prevent young people from entering the criminal justice system. No single option other than aggressively expanding and purchasing close-custody beds appears to have a realistic chance of alleviating or substantially delaying the need for building another 800-bed prison in 2005. The most controversial option -- adjusting sentencing and reducing prison time served by nonviolent offenders -- seems to hold the greatest promise for reducing the need for prison beds over the long term. Without sentencing adjustments, the other short-term options likely will be inadequate. Figures, table