Public opinion in the 1970's and 1980's insisted on more severe laws and punishments, but prison construction has not been able to hold the half-million now incarcerated. Court orders are mandating 36 States to reduce the number of their inmates. Officials now release inmates before their parole dates or sentence terminations, halt admissions temporarily, or force prisoners to wait until there is room inside. Alternatives include privately run prisons, which may violate civil rights' laws. Some States use inmates employed by private industry to help pay prison bills. Computer technology has introduced electronic monitoring devices to supervise parolees, defendants awaiting trial, and probationers. Intensive supervision programs include community services, victim restitution, drug or alcohol counseling, and especially intensive probationary supervision. Nonviolent and psychologically stable offenders are chosen for these alternative programs which do tend to reduce recidivism and prison overcrowding. Although victims object to alternatives to imprisonment for convicted criminals, public policy appears to be moving toward some sort of alternative to prison warehousing. 25 notes, 10 references, 1 chart, 2 illustrations.