CURRENTLY, THE RATE OF INCARCERATION IN THE UNITED STATES IS 215 PER 100,000. IN COMPARISON, THE NETHERLANDS IS 13 PER 100,000; JAPAN, 40 PER 100,000; AND ENGLAND AND WALES, 60 PER 100,000. THE UNITED STATES INCARCERATES MORE PERSONS UNDER MORE LENGTHLY SENTENCES THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE FREE WORLD AND POSSIBLY THE WORLD AS A WHOLE, WITH POLAND RANKING SECOND (189 PER 100,000). THIS HIGH IMPRISONMENT RATE IN THE UNITED STATES NOT ONLY IS COSTLY, BUT THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE THAT IT REDUCES RECIDIVISM OR CURTAILS THE CRIME RATE. THERE IS A NEED TO ADOPT STATE AND FEDERAL POLICIES THAT WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PERSONS SENT TO PRISON. CALIFORNIA HAS DONE THIS BY ADOPTING A FIXED-SENTENCING LAW WHICH LOWERS SENTENCES FOR MANY OFFENSES. OTHER STATES ARE WORKING TO DECRIMINALIZE JUVENILE STATUS OFFENSES, OFFENSES WHICH HAVE FREQUENTLY LED TO THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF MANY JUVENILES. IN A FURTHER EFFORT TO REDUCE SENTENCE SEVERITIES, THE PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE HAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE POSSESSION OF MARIHUANA BE TREATED AS AN OFFENSE RATHER THAN A CRIME. THE DECRIMINALIZATION OF PROSTITUTION, HOMOSEXUALITY, OBSCENITY, AND OTHER 'VICTIMLESS' CRIMES COULD ALSO HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PROCESSED BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, WHO MAY END UP IN PRISON. FURTHER, EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE EXTENT OF INTERVENTION AND SECURITY THROUGH SUPERVISION OF OFFENDERS IN THE COMMUNITY COULD REDUCE IMPRISONMENT RATES. PROBATION HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE NO LESS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING RECIDIVISM THAN IMPRISONMENT, AND IT IS SURELY LESS EXPENSIVE. MAXIMUM SECURITY WOULD BE RESERVED FOR THE APPROXIMATELY ONE PERCENT OF OFFENDERS WHO ARE DANGEROUS. (RCB)