Reducing America's Correctional Populations: A Strategic Plan

Abstract

It has been 40 years (1969) since a decline in the nation's prison population has been reported. In 1969 our crime rate was 3,680 per 100,000 population and our incarceration rate was 97 per 100,000. Today the crime rate is 3,667 (the same as 1969) but our incarceration rate is about five times higher, at 508 per 100,000. With the soaring costs of corrections and a stagnant economy, policy makers are searching for ways to lower their investment in corrections. The only ways to lower correctional populations are to reduce the number of admissions and the lengths of stay in prison or through probation and parole. It is highly unlikely that such a reduction can be achieved by reducing recidivism rates, which have remained unchanged for at least 25 years and are unlikely to change. Rather, the solution lies in simply returning to the same sentencing and correctional policies that existed a few decades ago when our crime rate was what it is today. This paper outlines the proven methods that have been used in other jurisdictions (both currently and historically) and can be used to significantly reduce the entire correctional system.