Tough crime control measures were implemented in the 1980's, and many States passed laws mandating prison terms for criminals convicted of certain crimes. Experts, however, disagree about the purpose of the prison system and about whether deterrence, retribution, rehabilitation, or punishment should guide sentencing decisions. Experts also have differences on how to keep first-time offenders from becoming career criminals. Debate over the 1990 Crime Control Act highlights differing ideas about how to address the difficult problem of violent crime. In dealing with violent crime, basically three courses of action are available: (1) impose tough sanctions on criminals; (2) emphasize causes of crime rather than symptoms; and (3) focus efforts on the relatively small group of high-rate offenders who probably cannot be rehabilitated or deterred by the threat of prison. 2 figures