The author cites several cases in which serious offenders, released early from overcrowded prisons, committed new crimes. There are three primary reasons to explain the current problem of insufficient prison space: voter sentiment that supports get-tough legislation but opposes new taxes to pay for prison construction, Federal judges who order correctional facilities to institute costly reforms or release prisoners, and bureaucratic mismanagement of existing jails and prisons. To keep serious criminals off the streets, the author recommends incarcerating serious offenders at a younger age, improving parole supervision, and building more prisons.