How can we eliminate prison overcrowding, arguably the single biggest problem facing prisons today?

The number of prisoners in the USA has been increasing since the 1970s, and prisons are dangerously overcrowded, which endangers the lives of prisoners. Eliminating overcrowding in prisons can be achieved in a number of ways.One idea, which has emerged from research undertaken by Stanford Graduate School of Business is a concept called "split sentencing", in which low-level felonies are punishable by a combination of jail time and community supervision. As an alternative to incarceration, community supervision (previously known as adult probation) allows offenders back into the community to live and work, while receiving rehabilitative services and compensating their victims for the losses they suffered.Around half the inmates in the federal prison system are there as a result of drug charges. Another way to relieve overcrowding in prisons - and save taxpayers money - would be to instruct that fewer people be brought to federal court on minor drug charges. On a similar note, allowing a greater number of prisoners to reduce their drug-related sentences by participating in rehabilitation programs would help to achieve less crowding in prisons.Studies have shown that prisoners released at the age of 55 or older are far less to commit additional crimes if released than younger prisoners. Another way to reduce overcrowding in prisons would be to allow the release of certain elderly prisoners.

There are several ways to eliminate prison overcrowding. One would be to devote more funds to building new prisons. This could be done through raising taxes or through reallocating current funds away from other projects, such as schools or roads, to prison construction.
However, as neither of the above proposals is likely to be politically viable, another alternative would be to reduce sentences for existing non-violent offenders and/or to rely more heavily on parole than incarceration. Decriminalizing certain offenses, such as being caught having small amounts of illegal substances, could also lower prison populations. Given that the United States incarcerates a high percentage of its total population compared to other nations, trying to cut the prison population could be a reasonable option that would gain popular support.
Since early childhood educaton programs have been shown to reduce criminal behavior when children grow up, a long-term solution to prison overcrowding could be investments in preschool programs. Fewer people committing crimes would reduce prison overcrowding.