The main driver of incarceration is the increased likelihood that an arrest will lead to incarceration: ‘Lesser offenses’ began receiving prison time ‘Time served’ was significantly increased (5-20 years) for violent or repeat offenders, decreasing turnover The ‘War on Drugs’ brought a 20% increase in prisoners Deinstitutionalization, or the release of nearly 500,000 mental patients into the general population from 1955-1994, unwittingly left the prison system in charge of mental healthcare.