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South Carolina General Assembly Legislative Audit Council - A Study and Review of Prison Overcrowding in South Carolina

NCJ Number
87201
Date Published
1982
Length
192 pages
Annotation
This study identifies the nature, causes, and implications of prison overcrowding in South Carolina and presents recommendations for improvement that limit cost without compromising public safety.
Abstract
Within the last decade, South Carolina's prison population has nearly tripled, and the State's incarceration rate has been the highest in the county since 1976, although there is no indication that the high incarceration rate has controlled or reduced the crime rate. A savings of $10.4 million could have been realized by placing low-risk incarcerated inmates admitted in fiscal 1980-81 on intensive probation. Without significant policy changes, the State prison population will almost double by fiscal 1992-93. Such an increase would require nearly a half billion dollars in capital construction prior to 1990, and the long-term financial commitments associated with prison construction are far greater. Three major approaches for reducing the number of prison admissions are providing alternative sanctions to incarceration, implementing sentencing guidelines, and restructuring State and local responsibility such that the jurisdictional responsibiiltiy of localities for lesser offenders is increased. The use of alternative sanctions could be increased due to the high number of lesser offenders incarcerated, producing significant savings to the State. Also, to reduce overcrowding, sentences prescribe community alternatives for a greater proportion of offenders or be reduced in length. Sentencing guidelines can serve these ends. It is unlikely, however, that an increase in local jurisdiction from 3 months to 1 year would alleviate State prison overcrowding. The most direct methods of controlling prison crowding are the establishment of standards and capacity limits for facilities along with the adoption of emergency overcrowding measures. Tabular data and a summary report are provided. (Author summary modified)