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State Prison Population Drops for First Time Since 1972

By Michael Blankenship

Spurred by budget crises, California and Michigan together reduced their prison populations by more than 7,500 last year, contributing to what a new report says is the first nationwide decline in the number of state inmates since 1972. The overall drop was slight, according to the Pew Center on the States ? just 0.4 percent ? but its report suggests there could be a sustained downward trend because of keen interest by state policymakers in curtailing corrections costs. Read more... Read the report... If there is a silver lining to the current economic crisis, the news that the growth in state prison population is it. But the news is mixed: in 23 states, the number of prisoners increased in 2009 ? notably in Indiana by 5.3 percent and in Pennsylvania by 4...continue to full post

Full post as published by The Justice Gambit on March 17, 2010 (boomark / email).