An Evaluation of the Federal Government’s Violent Offender Incarceration and Truth-in-Sentencing Incentive Grants

The 1994 Crime Act authorized $10 billion through fiscal year 2000 to help states expand prison space for violent offenders, provided states had truth-in-sentencing (TIS) laws. Few states enacted new TIS statutes to qualify for funding; only $2.7 million actually reached the states. By the end of fi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Prison journal (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pa.), 2006-09, Vol.86 (3), p.364-385
Main Authors: Turner, Susan, Greenwood, Peter W., Fain, Terry, Chiesa, James R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Criminal justice
Criminal sentences
Government grants
Imprisonment
States
Violent crime
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Summary:The 1994 Crime Act authorized $10 billion through fiscal year 2000 to help states expand prison space for violent offenders, provided states had truth-in-sentencing (TIS) laws. Few states enacted new TIS statutes to qualify for funding; only $2.7 million actually reached the states. By the end of fiscal year 1999, more than 50,000 new beds had been added using violent offender incarceration (VOI) and TIS funds, a capacity increase of around 4%. TIS did not increase incarcerations per violent crime committed. The percentage of sentence served by released violent offenders has increased since 1993 for both TIS and non-TIS states. By fiscal year 2002, VOI/TIS funding was discontinued.
ISSN:0032-8855
1552-7522
DOI:10.1177/0032885506291026