Courts, Corrections, and the Constitution: The Impact of Judicial Intervention on Prisons and Jails

By some definitions, most American prisons and jails are overcrowded; by any definition, many penal facilities are filthy and violence-ridden. Over the last twenty years, dozens of state and local corrections systems have come under court orders to reform. What have been the causes and consequences of judicial involvement in this area, and how in the future can judges act to improve the quality of life behind bars at a reasonable human and financial cost? This volume by a diverse and distinguished group of contributors provides a much needed answer to this question. It offers an introductory statement on enhancing judicial capacity; a critical review of the relevant literatures; original in-depth analyses of selected state and local cases; a statistical study of the likely effect of the "Republicanization" of the federal bench on judicial involvement; and a provocative essay by a corrections practitioner with over three decades of litigation experience. Under the heading "What Judges Can Do to Improve Prisons and Jails," the concluding chapter by DiIulio highlights key findings, offers policy prescriptions, and suggests an agenda for future research.

Review :
"This collection of research articles is so interesting and well-written that citizens who are aware of the seriousness of prison problems in our society today will find it an up-to-date and objective contribution to their existing knowledge."--Perspectives on Political Science "Highly recommended for public, college, university, and law libraries."--Choice "Useful to a broad variety of scholars. Courts, edited by DiIulio, will be of great interest to students of policy, implementation, state and local politics, public administration, public law, and criminal justice....Brilliantly written and highly recommended."--Policy Currents "In this unique and indispensable volume, Professor DiIulio and his distinguished co-authors bring order, reason, and illumination to the debate over judicial intervention in corrections."--Charles H. Logan, University of Connecticut "An exceptionally timely and balanced discussion of the complex issues surrounding the relationship between the courts and correctional administration. This book is a must for all involved or concerned with penal policy in the United States."--Norman Carlson, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons (ret.) "This collection of research articles is so interesting and well-written that citizens who are aware of the seriousness of prison problems in our society today will find it an up-to-date and objective contribution to their existing knowledge."--Perspectives on Political Science "Highly recommended for public, college, university, and law libraries."--Choice "Useful to a broad variety of scholars. Courts, edited by DiIulio, will be of great interest to students of policy, implementation, state and local politics, public administration, public law, and criminal justice....Brilliantly written and highly recommended."--Policy Currents "In this unique and indispensable volume, Professor DiIulio and his distinguished co-authors bring order, reason, and illumination to the debate over judicial intervention in corrections."--Charles H. Logan, University of Connecticut "An exceptionally timely and balanced discussion of the complex issues surrounding the relationship between the courts and correctional administration. This book is a must for all involved or concerned with penal policy in the United States."--Norman Carlson, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons (ret.) "What is the capacity of judges to intervene in ways that make jails more safe, civil, and cost effective? Who better to tackle these questions than the diverse group of political scientists, sociologists, justice professionals, and legal scholars whom John DiIulio has assembled? That the contributors to this volume do not always agree is testament to the enterprise's integrity, vitality, and solid contribution to the world of action and ideas."--Robert Katzmann, The Brookings Institution and The Governance Institute "This collection of research articles is so interesting and well written that citizens who are aware of the seriousness of prison problems in our society today will find it an up-to-date and objective contribution to their existing knowledge."--Perspectives on Political Science