California, with 67,000 inmates, will continue to lead the country in prison population growth, becoming the first State to house over 100,000 inmates within the next 5 years, unless sentencing policies are modified. For most States, the primary factor fueling prison population growth over the next 5 years will be an increasing length of inmate stay due to State laws designed to 'get tough' with criminals. Despite anticipated increases in prison populations, crime rates are not expected to decline. The Nation's parole populations will increase more quickly than the prison population as States are forced to accelerate the use of parole due to prison crowding. Black and Hispanic males are being imprisoned at rates 3 to 12 times the rate of white males. The continued escalation of prison populations will probably produce an aging inmate population requiring increased medical services and housing in correctional rest homes, increasing proportions of black and Hispanic male inmates, a disproportionate increase in State correctional spending compared to funding for other State services, and chronic shortages of middle-management staff to operate the growing number of prisons. 4 tables, 2 exhibits, and 11 references.