Commonly held theories about the reasons for prison crowding are the large number of persons in custody awaiting trial, the increasing number of drug offenders imprisoned, the greater number of short-term inmates, and longer sentences. Funding for corrections has not been sufficient to provide the space required for the expanding prison populations. A 1984 summary report by the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders suggests that speedy trials can diminish the number of detainees and that the number of sentenced offenders incarcerated can be reduced through diversified sentencing alternatives combined with the use of community treatment resources. A cross-national European study entitled 'Trends in Crime and Information Sources on Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention' indicates there is no clear relationship between the amount of criminal justice resources invested and the seriousness of the crime problem, although the public's fear of crime is apparently relieved by such investments. The report suggests the expanded use of punitive alternatives to imprisonment, even though this may not meet with public approval.