Overcrowded prisons and the high cost of incarceration are among the many complex issues surrounding the public debate about reform of the criminal justice system. In this timely volume, leading experts on sentencing and corrections policy focus on the development of intermediate sanctions as criminal sentencing alternatives designed to reduce America's over-reliance on imprisonment to punish criminal offenders.

The authoritative articles evaluate major innovative programs of intermediate sanctions in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe, including conflict mediation between victims and offenders, financial penalties, community service, electronic monitoring, day-reporting centers, and boot camps. The contributors consider the promises and challenges of implementing intermediate sanctions that save money and reduce prison populations without compromising public safety concerns.