Three major conclusions were drawn from the analysis of the survey findings. First, sheriffs in charge of large jails felt that overcrowding was having more negative consequences for their facilities than did sheriffs with small facilities. There were significant differences in the perceptions of services offered to inmates, perceptions of internal security, and perceptions of the physical and mental conditions of those who live and work within these facilities. Second, sheriffs who perceived their facilities as overcrowded had a greater concern for external security than those who managed uncrowded facilities. Third, all of the identified problems occurred with significant frequency as a result of overcrowding. The lowest cumulative agreement on these relationships was 36.1 percent when the sample was asked if overcrowding decreased access to medical services. Because continuing to fill jails to capacity and beyond seems to predict disaster for the jail as a functioning criminal justice institution, alternatives to incarceration must be explored for the misdemeanants held in these facilities. 3 tables and 18 references