Exploring alternatives to prison and probation

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Description

When judges pass sentence on convicted criminals, they generally have only two available options: put the offender into prison or put him back on the street with a term of probation. And while, in some cases, these options are sufficient, problems like prison overcrowding, "revolving door" justice, and the high incidence of repeat offenses have caused many people to feel that prison and probation just aren t sufficient tools to do the job. The question is: what would be? This film attempts to answer that question by looking at a range of innovative solutions being tried around the country. We visit five alternative sentencing programs including one in which offenders must perform community service, one which has criminals paying restitution to their victims, and a house arrest program where offenders are monitored by electronic surveillance. We see the risks and costs that each would involve and some of the arguments for and against them.