America's One Million Nonviolent Prisoners

In: Social justice: a journal of crime, conflict and world order, Band 27, S. 135-147

Abstract

America's jails currently house over one million nonviolent prisoners. As a result, incarceration costs in the US are staggering. In 1978, just five billion dollars were spent on costs pertaining to prisons & jails. Just under 20 years later, that figure had grown to 31 billion dollars. This paper examines the growth in the nonviolent inmate population & the correlating increase in cost. It also looks at current public safety issues & outlines strategies that local & federal governments should take into consideration when addressing the current situation. 6 Tables, 22 References. K. A. Larsen