Inmate Numbers Drop for First Time since '80 ... Oh Goody

Before you Celebrate because you assume Crime must have decreased ... Read on:

Attorney General Eric Holder announced Tuesday that for the first time since 1980, the federal inmate population has fallen, rather than risen.

At the end of the 2014 fiscal year next week, the federal prison population will show a drop to about 215, 000 inmates — about 4,800 fewer than a year ago.

The attorney general called the change a major breakthrough for advocates who have sought to shorten strict sentences for non-violent offenders.

Holder said the Justice Department estimates the federal prison population will continue to fall for the next two years. In 2015, it is projected to drop by 2,200 inmates, he said. In 2016, the population is projected to drop by 10,000 — the equivalent of six federal prisons.

"This is nothing less than historic," Holder said. "Now, these projected decreases won't result in any prison closures, because our system is operating at about 30% above capacity. But my hope is that we're witnessing the start of a trend that will only accelerate."

... There now, Feel any safer?

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