Five million people in the United States are under the supervision of the criminal justice system, 1.5 million in prisons or jails, the rest on probation or parole, and the inmate population continues to grow. Taxpayers spend billions of dollars each year on prisons and jails, yet the solution to crime problems remains elusive. To assist in understanding the complexities of the criminal justice issue, this booklet contains the following chapters: (1) "The Prison Boom" describing the magnitude and consequences of prison population growth; (2) "The Cost of Incarceration" analyzing costs of prison construction and operation; (3) "Who Goes to Prison" describing America's incarcerated population; (4) "Why Inmate Populations Are Up" analyzing factors that have caused the prison population to rise so steadily; (5) "Drugs, Crime, and Imprisonment" providing an overview of the U.S. drug problem and impact of anti-drug policies on law enforcement, the courts and prisons; (6) "A Continuum of Sanctions" illustrating the range of sanctions available to punish, supervise, and treat offenders; (7) "What the Public Thinks" reporting the findings of research that examines society's view on sentencing policies; and (8) "Resources" providing a list of experts who can give further information on criminal justice issues. Contains a total of 205 references. (JBJ)