Prison Population Trends: Causes and Strategies for a Changing System
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Presentation Transcript
Chapter 18 Incarceration Trends
Incarceration Trends • Explaining Prison Population Trends • Increased Arrests and More Likely Incarceration • Tougher Sentencing • Prison Construction • The War on Drugs • State Politics • Public Policy Trends • Dealing with Overcrowded Prisons • The Null Strategy • The Construction Strategy • Intermediate Sanctions • Prison Population Reduction • The impact of Prison • Does Incarceration Pay?
why the growth in incarceration rate? • demographic change • changes in the proportion of people in “crime prone” (16 - 24) & “incarceration prone” (25 - 30) age groups • increased arrest rates & more incarceration (including for probation/parole violations) • tougher sentencing practices • less probation, longer sentences, fewer paroles • prison construction • war on drugs • public policy trends: “getting tough”
Incarceration Rates and Violent Crime Rates in Selected Contiguous States
strategies to address prison crowding crisis null strategy strategies prison population reduction construction strategy intermediate sanctions
“null strategy” • the strategy of doing nothing to relieve crowding in prisons on the assumption that the problem is temporary and will disappear in time
prison population reduction • states rarely control prison population • 9 states with sentencing guidelines have required guideline framers to consider prison capacity when stipulating sentences • e.g., Minnesota has had 2d lowest incarceration rate in U.S. from 1985 - 1997 • Texas county “shipping” formula, 1990 • “back door” strategies more typical: • parole, work release, good time
“construction strategy” • a strategy of building new facilities to meet the demand for prison space • cost of average prison cell (in 500 bed facility): • $75,000 base construction cost (= $31 million) • $22,000 architects’ fees, furnishings, site prep. • $82,000 actual cost per cell • $41,000,000 to build 500 bed facility • operating cost: • $19,000 per inmate per year ($9.5 mill) • 30-year bill for 500 bed facility: • $326 million • NOT the $30 million originally claimed.
impact of prison crowding ill health results of crowding post-release recidivism offender misconduct violent behavior
does incarceration pay? • Debate over cost-effectiveness of prison. marginal savings of locking up each offender? • Zedlewski: $430,000 vs. cost of $25,000 • DiIulio: $28,000 vs. cost of $14,000 • Marvell: would save 21 crimes/year per offender
hidden costs of incarceration offenders’ families & children loss of young men to communities post-release recidivism hidden costs opportunity costs of not having other social programs