Specialty Courts Credited with Decrease in Jail Population in New York

Fewer inmates are behind bars in New York on any given day than at any time in the past 24 years, and the number admitted to the city’s jail system has fallen below 100,000 for the first time since 1987.

While the plunge in the city’s crime rate has undoubtedly been a critical factor, a number of other large cities where crime has also fallen have not seen a parallel drop in their jail population.

Instead, steps taken by the city, including special courts to deal with nonviolent offenders and programs to deter former convicts from returning to jail, appear to be bearing fruit.

Article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/nyregion/11jails.html?_r=1