Thinking About Corrections : Incarceration rates

Crime and Incarceration, the Midyear/Preliminary Reports

Eileen Conway — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:32:00 GMT

It's that time, when preliminary/midyear data are released by the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics regarding crime rates and incarceration for 2007. In its preliminary crime rate report, the FBI finds:

"Preliminary figures indicate that, as a whole, law enforcement agencies throughout the Nation reported a decrease of 1.4 percent in the number of violent crimes brought to their attention in 2007 when compared with figures reported for 2006. The violent crime category includes murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The number of property crimes in the United States from January to December of 2007 decreased 2.1 percent when compared with data from the same time period in 2006. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Arson is also a property crime, but data for arson are not included in property crime totals. Figures for 2007 indicate that arson decreased 7.0 percent in 2007 when compared to 2006 figures."

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Justice Statistics has released its midyear incarceration reports for both prisons and jails. The prisons report notes a decline in the rate of population increase between midyear 2006 and midyear 2007.

State Sentencing and Corrections Legislation

CC Pro — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:17:00 GMT

The National Conference of State Legislatures has published a report that examines state legislative actions during 2007, the elements that drove these actions, and the potential impact of sentencing and corrections in the near term. Principal legislative concerns were/are burgeoning prison populations and the accompanying budget growth. Measures passed to address prison construction and operating costs, reducing recidivism, and increasing the efficacy of correctional systems without compromising public safety include:

Expanding community corrections;
Managing probation and parole violators;
Boosting incentives for good behavior;
Preparing inmates for reentry; and
Linking released offenders to community support.

Examining the Incarceration Policy/Funding Bind

Eileen Conway — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:56:00 GMT

The Pew Center on the States has released a new report examining how states are coping with burgeoning prison populations and whether public safety is effectively being purchased with high incarceration costs. In One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008, Pew reviews the varying state trends in prison growth, costs associated with them, and efforts to forge new directions in controlling crime and costs.

Staggering Costs in the Next Five Years?

Eileen Conway — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 15:50:00 GMT

The much-awaited Pew report is out. Public Safety, Public Spending: Forecasting America's Prison Population 2007-2011 predicts a 13 percent jump in state and federal prison populations in the next five years. The report examines national and state trends (including state by state projections), operational and capital costs, and the relationship between incarceration and crime rates. Projecting a potential additional cost to taxpayers of $27.5 billion over the next five years, the report showcases states that are examining the performance of their sentencing and corrections systems to improve their outcomes.

Imprisonment Rates Around the World, Also Youth Crime Attitudes

Eileen Conway — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:49:00 GMT

A new edition of the World Prison Population List is now available. Produced by Roy Walmsley of King's College London International Centre for Prison Studies, the list makes a best attempt to draw together statistics from countries around the world. It complements the Centre's World Prison Brief, a database of information about prison systems throughout the world that is updated monthly.

Separately, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency has just posted Attitudes of US Voters Toward Youth Crime and the Justice System, which finds a reversal of public support for adult penalties for youth.

Research Meets Pragmatism: A Policymakers' Guide to Reconsidering Incarceration

Eileen Conway — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:12:00 GMT

With the FBI reporting violent crime on the rise nationwide, the Vera Institute of Justice has just issued a timely report tackling the thorny issue of the effectiveness of increased incarceration as a strategy for combating crime. Reconsidering Incarceration: New Directions for Reducing Crime weighs the research and suggests ways to direct policymakers' limited resources.

Global Perspective on US Incarceration Rates

Eileen Conway — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 16:43:00 GMT

"The US has less than 5% of the world's population but over 23% of the world's incarcerated people." In a new Fact Sheet, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency compares United States incarceration rates with those of other countries around the world. The report relies in part on statistics compiled by the International Centre for Prison Studies at King's College London, the World Prison Brief. Roy Walmsley of this Centre has also produced the 2006 World Female Imprisonment List.