The author supports the use of prisons for violent criminals; however, the unprecedented use of prisons to punish first-time nonviolent offenders is severely depleting local and national crime-fighting dollars. According to a recent American Psychological Association study, 94 percent of violent-crime- fighting funds is spent, not on prevention, but on punishment, which does little to ensure fearful citizens of their safety and even less to satisfy the victims and their families. As a cost- effective alternative to incarcerating nonviolent offenders, the author proposes a stringent policy whereby offenders report for a rigorous daily regimen of community service work, job training, rehabilitation, and civic restitution. This alternative suggests that there is a way to lower the rearrest rate at a fraction of the cost of imprisonment while increasing public safety and making more prison space available for violent or repeat offenders. The book also focuses on the roots of crime (e.g., the breakdown of the family, poverty, and the pervasive availability of guns and drugs) and reports on interviews with young male and female offenders to help readers understand why today's generation is engaging in unprecedented levels of violence. Chapter notes and a subject index