States' Hands are Tied When It Comes to Corrections Budgets

...and throw away the key. (With apologies to Jay & the Americans, who are still performing.)

Growing prison populations hinder budget cuts. (USA Today, 10/20/2011)

Excerpt: The rising number of prisoners serving costly life terms across the country is complicating state officials' efforts to make dramatic cuts to large prison budgets, lawmakers and criminal justice officials said.

From 1984 to 2008, the number of offenders serving life terms quadrupled, from 34,000 to roughly 140,000, according to the most recent count by The Sentencing Project ["Throwing Away the Key"], which advocates alternatives to incarceration.

The Sentencing Project interactive map.

Sidebar:  Death Penalty Information Center.

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