Prison Populations in the United States Continue to Decline

According to federal statistics and criminal justice experts, the prison population in the United States declined more in 2012 than in any other year, signaling a shift away from long- standing policies of mass imprisonment. Approximately half the decline in prison populations in 2012 occurred in California, in response to a Supreme Court order to relieve prison overcrowding. However, several other states including New York, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina, showed substantial decreases in inmate populations. Imprisonment rates in the United States have moved upward since the 1970s, but the trend has reversed in the past few years. Experts attribute changes to the recession, plummeting crime rates, changes in sentencing laws and shifts in public attitudes. Changes in laws for lower-level offenses like those involving drugs have played a crucial role in declining prison populations, as some states are looking at research- based alternatives, such as diversion programs, that cost less and are more effective than imprisonment. To read more, go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/26/us/us-prison-populations-decline-reflecting-new-approach-to-crime.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130726&_r=2&