Irvin Waller

To Get the Truth About Reducing Crime,
order LESS LAW, MORE ORDER in:

The Truth about Reducing Population behind Bars

The Pew Center in the States recently published One in 100 Adult Americans behind Bars which draws attention to levels of incarceration in the USA which have become high compared to earlier decades and other countries. Rates of incarceration for black and Hispanic adults are disproportionately higher. It showed how the rapid rise in incarceration had created a crisis in expenditures on corrections for States and so was crowding out other State priorities. It called for greater use of policy options to incarcerate fewer low risk offenders for shorter periods of time. Less Law, More Order agrees with the crisis but shows that the policy options in One in 100 are unlikely to be effective but may prolong the crisis. Instead it calls for significant investment in prevention strategies which science has demonstrated to reduce crime. The Less Law, More Order policy option will reduce admissions by reducing the rates of crime, violence and illicit drug use, including by black and Hispanic men. It calls on the Federal government to assist the States to reap the prevention dividend while reducing rates of incarceration.

1. The Crisis of Adults behind Bars

One in 100 showed

" One in 100 adult Americans are behind bars or 750 inmates for 100,000 total population - 1 in 15 black men and 1 in 36 Hispanic men over 18.

" Two thirds of those released will be back behind bars within 3 years - 39% for a technical violation

" Persons in intermediate sanctions pay 7 times more child support, restitution and taxes

Less Law, More Order showed

" A rate of 750 per 100,000 but pointed out that this rate is seven times the rate for Canada at 100 and five times that of England and Wales at 145. Yet these two countries have rates of crime that are and have been similar to the US though their rates of gun violence are much lower.

2. The fiscal crisis for States

One in 100 showed

" States spent $44 billion on corrections, compared to $4.8 billion on pre-school education and $33 billion on higher education in 2005

" States face crowding out of budgets for other items because of the rapid 127% increase in corrections which is outpacing items such as higher education at 12% because States must balance budgets unlike the federal government

Less Law, More Order showed

" The rapidly increasing costs are not just a crisis for States but more importantly for taxpayers. The $44 billion from State taxes is only part of the over $70 billion paid by taxpayers for corrections at all levels of government. Further, these staggering numbers of persons behind bars were only achieved by significant increases in taxes allocated to expenditures on public law enforcement and on courts. Today taxpayers provide for over $200 billion which double or triples the amounts paid in constant dollars in 1982 and leaves the average American taxpayer paying twice what their British or Canadian counterparts pay.

3. The proposed policy options

One in 100 recommended

" States to keep fewer lower risk offenders behind bars by reducing admissions for crimes and technical violations and decreasing the length of time served through remission and parole

Less Law, More Order concludes

" That investing in corrections for low risk offenders is not sufficient and may prolong the crisis but must be accompanied by significant investment in what has worked to reduce crime and violence, which will provide significant further reductions in crime. It points to strategies that prevent youth offending (see chapter 2), those that prevent violence (see chapter 3), those that use policing smartly (see chapter 5) and so on. It shows how comprehensive strategies at the city and State level would use what works to achieve large reductions (see chapters 7 and 8). It calls for enforcement of victim rights (see chapter 6). It proposes Federal legislation (see chapter 8 and conclusion) that would over time reduce violence by 50%, reduce taxes to levels consistent with other countries and invest in youth, families and neighborhoods at risk.

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