Women abused by their husbands or families too often end up in jail instead of their abusers.
The New York City police are cracking down on peaceful demonstrators by requiring a night in jail instead of a summons.
Spending years in jail instead of prison is an increasing possibility now, as California carries out the most far-reaching overhaul of its criminal justice system in decades.
Sometimes, this is the critical evidence that puts men and women in jail instead of leaving them, say, planning to rob banks or sitting at home building bombs.
In Hawaii, a program that treats minor infractions of probation with a few days in jail (instead of longer sentences) has successfully reduced recidivism, and is now used in 17 states.
He proposes, for lesser offenders, punishments that are swift and certain but not necessarily severe: a night in jail, instead of a warning, for missing a meeting with a parole officer, say, and ten nights the next time.
City officials have agreed not to reinstate a Giuliani-era policy that forced most people arrested at demonstrations to spend a night or more in jail instead of being released and given a summons to appear in court.
He says if he had been put in jail instead of offered an opportunity to work in the community, he would have continued a life of violence in Cali.
Soon, Mr. Feldman says, truant officers may be able to use the program to "bop a kid" as well, meaning check with the Bureau of Probation to see whether a truant has any outstanding warrants and may belong in jail instead of class.
The corrective services minister, Joe Francis, told the West Australian on Tuesday he would look at introducing harsher penalties for fine defaulting, saying too many people took the "soft option" of serving time in jail instead of paying a fine.
