America's prisons now house an estimated 49,641 adults with mental retardation (MR), or about 4 percent of all inmates. Inmates with MR represent a complex, troubling, and increasingly costly issue for the Nation's prisons. Research shows that offenders with mental retardation do more time, do harder time, get less from their time in prison, and are more likely to be returned once released than persons who are not disabled. Sentencing low-risk persons with MR to intermediate sanctions appears to save money, poses little risk to the public and reduces recidivism rates. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that all corrections agencies establish screening and rehabilitation programs specifically for offenders with MR. Such policies will create a fairer corrections system, one that provides equal opportunity, protection from victimization, and appropriate treatment. References