NCJ Number
155775
Date Published
1995
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This report provides a state-by-state analysis of court-ordered prison reforms, noting that only three States have never been involved in major litigation challenging overcrowding or conditions in their prisons.
Abstract
Thirty-nine States plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands are under court order or consent decree to limit their prison population, improve conditions in either the entire State system or its major facilities, or both. Thirty-three jurisdictions are under court order for overcrowding or conditions in at least one of their major prison facilities, while nine jurisdictions are under court order covering their entire system. The American Civil Liberties Union has been involved in the litigation in many of these jurisdictions. The summary for each state lists the major cases and provides a chronology of major events and actions.