Prison overcrowding is due to the surge in jail and prison admissions, increasing sentence lengths, and mandatory sentencing laws; the problem cannot be solved through increased prison construction alone. This paper examines the types of sentences currently imposed on drug offenders, judicial perceptions of alternative sanctions for drug offenders, and the relationship between sentencing goals and sanctions imposed for drug offenders. The authors discuss how current dispositional options for drug offenders relate to the needs of the judiciary and the criminal justice system in general. The paper discusses barriers to the expansion of the use of drug treatment as a sentencing option, and other possible solutions. 4 figures, 4 tables, and 44 references