While the rise in population prior to June 1991 was due primarily to the impact of legislative changes, a judicial propensity to sentence to State prison, and an increase in parole violator returns, recent increases in the prison population have been attributed to a resurgence in new admissions from court and the higher proportion of violent offenders who generally receive longer sentences. The premises upon which this analysis are based include admission rates, significant chartered legislation and initiatives, the inmate work/training incentive program (IWTIP), mean sentence and preconfinement credits, placement need projections, and parole violators. 21 tables and 7 figures