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Four ways to relieve overcrowded prisons

America’s  addiction to incarceration as a curb on crime must end. The evidence is staggering. Prison overcrowding is ubiquitous and shows few signs of abating: Between 1970 and 2005, the nation’s inmate population grew by 700 percent.

In California, 54 prisoners may share a single toilet and 200 prisoners may live in a single gymnasium. As a result, the Supreme Court ruled in May 2011 that California prisons were in violation of the Eighth Amendment and its prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Here, attorney Arjun Sethi offers four solutions to improve the overcrowded US prison system.

4. Impose nonprison penalties

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For those arrested for technical parole and probation violations like missing a meeting or court appearance, imposing nonprison penalities would dramatically ameliorate overcrowding and excessive caseloads. Over a third of all prison admissions are for such types of violations. Texas is leading the charge here, and through such measures has significantly reduced its inmate population.

Arjun Sethi is an attorney in Washington, DC. 

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