Crime increases, public attitudes, and changes in the penal code and sentencing practices combined to double the Alabama prison population between 1979 and 1983. Simultaneously, a Federal court placed capacity limitations on the prison system. Alabama's response to prison crowding was not planned nor systematic; rather it attempted to cope with the crisis by short-term methods. While the State penal code was being revised to emphasize incapacitation, the Department of Corrections was trying to manage population pressures by expanding inmate release programs. When traditional population safety valves (e.g., paroles and incentive good-time credits) were restricted by statute, the Department of Corrections developed alternative means to release offenders so as to meet the requirements of the court order. Long-term policy strategies require criminal justice policymakers to consider the systemwide consequences of their actions and address the environmental forces that affect criminal justice decisionmaking. 4 tables, 22-item bibliography. (Author abstract modified)