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What Does the Future Hold for California's County Jails?

NCJ Number
110413
Author(s)
J D Thomas
Date Published
1987
Length
64 pages
Annotation
This study summarizes current overcrowding conditions in California county jails, examines trends in incarceration rates, and considers its potential effects on current and projected jail bed space.
Abstract
Five trends are examined: longer jail sentences, public disdain for criminals, continuing loss of State and Federal funds, alternative sentencing experiments, and continuing taxpayer revolts. Five potential future events are forecast, and their relationship to the trends is examined. Based on the information obtained, three scenarios are constructed. One scenario suggests that county jails become consolidated statewide and that the jail officers transfer from one station to another throughout the State. A second scenario suggests that all county jail inmates be housed in a single facility in the desert, which would be run by private enterprise. The third scenario suggests a governmental rating system which would grade the success of local jail operations. Effective local jails would continue to operate under local control, but poorly operated jails would be run by a central State authority. This latter scenario is preferred among the three. The proposed action plan calls for police administrators to examine their organizations for 'excellence' and look to outside sources for funding. Appended supplementary information, 20 endnotes. (Author abstract modified)