About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


12 Just. Rsch. & Pol'y 1 (2010)

handle is hein.journals/jcerhadp12 and id is 1 raw text is: SPECIAL ISSUE ON SENTENCING AND CORRECTIONS IN THE STATES 0 INTRODUCTION William Bales Associate Professor College of Criminology and Criminal Justice Florida State University Richard Kern Director Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission JRP Guest Editors This special issue of Justice Research and Policy contains invited articles on crimi- nal sentencing and corrections, a criminological topic that, arguably, generates the most attention from criminal justice system policy makers, lawmakers, and judges. Nationwide, the steep growth in our incarcerated population has generated a prolific amount of discussion both in the academic literature and the popular media. Over the last two decades, our national prison population has nearly tripled to the point that it is estimated that more than one in every 100 adults is now confined in an American jail or prison.' The increased costs associated with housing so many inmates are daunting. In 1987, the states collectively spent $10.6 billion of their general funds on corrections, while in 2007 they spent more than $44 billion - a 315% jump.2 With so many states struggling in these economically lean times to balance their budgets, a question frequently asked is whether or not the huge investment in corrections spending is reaping satisfactory returns vis-a-vis enhanced public safety 1 One in 100: Behind Bars in American 2008. The PEW Center on the States, Febru- ary 2008. 2 Ibid