<p>Over two million people are incarcerated in America's prisons and jails, eight times as many since 1975. Mandatory minimum sentencing, parole agencies intent on sending people back to prison, three-strike laws, for-profit prisons, and other changes in the legal system have contributed to this spectacular rise of the general prison population.</p><p>After overseeing the largest city jail system in the country, Michael Jacobson knows first-hand the inner workings of the corrections system. In <B>Downsizing Prisons</B>, he convincingly argues that mass incarceration will not, as many have claimed, reduce crime nor create more public safety. Simply put, throwing away the key is not the answer.</p>