One reason for escalating criminal justice costs is that many State and local governments are building more jails and prisons in response to overcrowding conditions in present facilities. Such a simplistic warehousing mentality proceeds with little cost consciousness or thought directed toward comprehensive systems planning and cost-effective alternatives. A brief case study cites the reduction in the projected inmate population in New York City through systems analysis and opting for less expensive and equally effective methods for dealing with nondangerous offenders. In Minnesota, the subsidy of alternative programs in communities for nondangerous offenders has resulted in a substantial reduction in new prison construction. In other States such as Kansas, New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Washington, there is either growing opposition to continued construction of expensive prison complexes or community corrections legislation has been enacted after the Minnesota model. Other alternative approaches to cutting jail and prison populations are using nonincarcerative methods for dealing with victimless crime, issuing citations in lieu of arrest and detention, speeding up court procedures to reduce the time in detention, providing restitution to the victim in lieu of jail sentences, and imposing weekend sentences for offenders who can then live at home during the week and hold jobs. No references are given.