In 1993, for the first time in the District's history, more District residents were sitting in prison cells than in publicly funded college classrooms. In 1980, on the other hand, the total enrollment rate for the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) was more than four times the District's incarceration rate. African-Americans were disproportionately paying the price for the District's tough crime policies. Currently, 98.6 percent of those imprisoned in the District are African-American, although African-Americans compose approximately two-thirds of the District's population. The tremendous increase in corrections funding over the last two decades has added to the District's financial constraints. Since the University of the District of Columbia's inception in 1976, expenditures for it have increased only 82 percent, while corrections spending increased by 312 percent. Thus, residents of the District were losing access to a 4-year, publicly funded education. Not only was the quality of education suffering at UDC due to lack of funding, but UDC might have to close its doors entirely. Recommendations of this report included adopting a moratorium on new prison construction and cutting the nonviolent inmate population in half over the next 5 years. Community corrections initiatives were recommended, along with investments in higher education and other enterprises that have a greater positive influence on children and families than tough corrections policies. 23 notes