Overcrowded Prisons of Forty States Under Court Orders, ACLU National Prison Project Reports

PRISONS April 1993

Overcrowded and dangerous prisons are commonplace, according to a recent National Prison Project report "Status Report: State Prisons and the Courts," funded by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), (No Author, "Study: Prison Overcrowding Taking Its Toll," National Law Journal, 3/29/93, p. 9).

The report found that 40 states are now under court order to reduce overcrowding and other unconstitutional prison conditions. The states have been found in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The report found that the U.S. prison population grew almost 4 percent in early 1993 alone. Only four states -- Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Vermont -- were not facing litigation over prison conditions.

For more information, contact the National Prison Project, 1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 410, Washington, D.C. 20009, 202-234-4830. The price of the report is $5.00.