Citation

Blumstein A. Crime Justice 1988; 10: 231-266.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1988, University of Chicago Press)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

The dramatic rise in prison populations characteristic of the last fifteen years results from no single cause. The politicization of imprisonment policy, which began in the 1970s, and the changing age composition of the American population due to the postwar baby boom are important factors. One of the most troublesome aspects of prison populations is the overrepresentation of blacks. This cannot be explained solely or predominantly by racial discrimination in the criminal justice system: the bulk of the differential presence of blacks in prison appears to result from their differential involvement in those kinds of crime for which prison sentences are often imposed. Three basic approaches exist for relieving prison crowding. First, offenders can be diverted from prison by sentencing them to nonincarcerative punishments (a "front-door" approach). Second, prison sentences can be shortened, by a variety of mechanisms (a "back-door" approach). Third, prison capacity can be increased by constructing more facilities. States that are formulating strategies to alleviate prison crowding should consider a mixture of these approaches.

Language: en