T
The420Guy
Guest
WASHINGTON - The number of people in U.S. prisons and jails last year
topped 2 million for the first time, driven by get-tough sentencing
policies that mandate long terms for drug offenders and other criminals,
the government reported Sunday.
The federal government accounted for more inmates than any state, with
almost 162,000, according to a report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics,
part of the Justice Department. That number includes the transfer of about
8,900 District of Columbia prisoners to the federal system.
California, Texas, Florida and New York have the four biggest state
systems, mirroring their status as the most populous states.
But Texas, California, New York, Illinois and five other states saw
populations drop compared with the year before as releases outpaced admissions.
Some states modified parole rules to deal with steep budget shortfalls,
leading to an overall growth rate in state prison populations of just under
1 percent from June 2001 to June 2002. The federal prison population grew
by 5.7 percent.
The total population June 30, 2002, was 2.1 million, an increase of 2.8
percent from 2001. Two-thirds were in federal or state prisons, with the
other third held in jails, the report said.
The report did not count all juvenile offenders, which if previously
included would have driven the nation's inmate population over the 2
million mark years ago. But the report did note that there were more than
10,000 inmates under age 18 held in adult prisons and jails last year.
Malcolm Young, executive director of the Sentencing Project, said the
increase continues a trend stemming from tough penalties meted out to drug
users and traffickers as well as "three strikes, you're out" laws that can
mandate life sentences for repeat offenders.
"It's part of the get-tough scheme. It's been going on for 30 years," said
Young, whose non-profit group advocates alternatives to incarceration, such
as drug courts and treatment programs.
Pubdate: Mon, 7 Apr 2003
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Webpage: https://www.bayarea.com/5576740.htm
Copyright: 2003 San Jose Mercury News
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: BayArea.com
topped 2 million for the first time, driven by get-tough sentencing
policies that mandate long terms for drug offenders and other criminals,
the government reported Sunday.
The federal government accounted for more inmates than any state, with
almost 162,000, according to a report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics,
part of the Justice Department. That number includes the transfer of about
8,900 District of Columbia prisoners to the federal system.
California, Texas, Florida and New York have the four biggest state
systems, mirroring their status as the most populous states.
But Texas, California, New York, Illinois and five other states saw
populations drop compared with the year before as releases outpaced admissions.
Some states modified parole rules to deal with steep budget shortfalls,
leading to an overall growth rate in state prison populations of just under
1 percent from June 2001 to June 2002. The federal prison population grew
by 5.7 percent.
The total population June 30, 2002, was 2.1 million, an increase of 2.8
percent from 2001. Two-thirds were in federal or state prisons, with the
other third held in jails, the report said.
The report did not count all juvenile offenders, which if previously
included would have driven the nation's inmate population over the 2
million mark years ago. But the report did note that there were more than
10,000 inmates under age 18 held in adult prisons and jails last year.
Malcolm Young, executive director of the Sentencing Project, said the
increase continues a trend stemming from tough penalties meted out to drug
users and traffickers as well as "three strikes, you're out" laws that can
mandate life sentences for repeat offenders.
"It's part of the get-tough scheme. It's been going on for 30 years," said
Young, whose non-profit group advocates alternatives to incarceration, such
as drug courts and treatment programs.
Pubdate: Mon, 7 Apr 2003
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Webpage: https://www.bayarea.com/5576740.htm
Copyright: 2003 San Jose Mercury News
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: BayArea.com
