In 1987 Austria used pretrial detention and prison sentences more extensively than most other European countries. However, fines have been used increasingly in recent years. The law concerning protective custody is the same for adults and juveniles and permits security forces as well as courts to impose protective custody. In contrast, pretrial detention can only be imposed by a court under specific guidelines and, for juveniles, is used only in exceptional cases. Prison sentences of more than 1 year for convicted offenders require a 2-step decisionmaking process. Incarceration rates of both pretrial and convicted offenders have declined steadily in recent years. In addition, Austria has enacted legislation to improve prison conditions. Footnotes, tables, and 17 references