Prison Population Jumps to 369,725

• NCJ Number: 83046
• Journal: Corrections Magazine Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: (June 1982) Pages: 6-11,14,46
• Author(s): R Gardner
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

Trends in prison population increases in 1981 for the Nation and particular States are examined, and some suggested reasons for the increase are considered, followed by descriptions of some State efforts to relieve prison overcrowding.

Abstract

The population of State and Federal prisons in the United States increased by a staggering 41,292 inmates in 1981, the largest increase in the Nation's history. The 1981 surge was the most dramatic of an 8-year population boom and made futile corrections officials' efforts to keep pace with past increases through new construction. Most corrections experts blame the prison population increase on public pressure on legislatures, police, and courts to be more severe with criminals. This has produced higher rates of prison sentences, longer sentences, and a stricter use of parole. There is no apparent relation between the rising prison population and the crime rate. Some blame the public's fear of crime and misconceptions of the extent of crime on the mass media's daily attention to violent crime, which gives the impression that crime is a daily serious threat to citizens. In an effort to deal with the prison crisis without expensive construction, several States have taken significant political risks. In Delaware, the mechanism is a new supervised custody program similar to parole. In Michigan, the Prison Emergency Power Act authorizes the Governor to declare an emergency if the prison population remains above capacity for 30 consecutive days. Then, 90 days are deducted from minimum sentences for about 85 percent of the inmates. The Minnesota Sentencing Commission, established in 1980, is explicitly required to considered prison capacity in setting guidelines. Some experts see these approaches as only stop-gap measures. The only way out of the stalemate, some say, is to establish a broad-based policy regarding who should go to prison and why.