Anne Piehl was involved with the Committee on Law and Justice: Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences Education, which released a report a few weeks ago on "The Growth of Incarceration in the United States: Exploring Causes and Consequences".
"After decades of stability, the United States saw its incarceration rate more than quadruple in the past 40 years. Currently, nearly 1 out of 100 American adults is in prison or jail. What drove this increase, and how has it affected crime rates, individuals, families, communities, and society at large?
The Growth of Incarceration in the United States finds that the dramatic increase in incarceration has failed to clearly yield large crime-reduction benefits for the nation. In addition, the growth in incarceration may have had a wide range of unwanted consequences for individuals, families, communities, and society. The report recommends that policymakers take steps to reduce the nation’s reliance on incarceration.
