犯罪如毒品、偷窃和伪造，是非暴力的，有时是无受害人的犯罪，但超过一半的美国监狱人口由这些类型的罪犯。Â大部分的监狱在美国的房子比他们得到了更多的囚犯。Â美国花费更多的监禁每年超过四百亿美元。监狱人满为患，似乎是许多人远离监狱的原因，被判处短期监禁，并发布之前很久，句子是完整的。Â猥亵儿童，持枪的劫匪和强奸犯往往假释作为一种解决缓解监狱人满为患。同时，一些初犯，犯非暴力犯罪都没有机会被假释，有时最终服务比罪犯，暴力犯罪更多的时间。
替代量刑可以作为监狱过度拥挤和不公平的处罚救济。Â替代量刑程序的设计使Â处罚符合罪行。Â而不是发送一个非暴力罪犯的监狱，罪犯被判处刑罚或者如缓刑、电子监控、社区服务、毒品和酒精康复Â替代。量刑可以帮助罪犯重新犯罪，从而减少监狱人口少花纳税人的钱的监狱。Â还可以帮助那些已经完成句子过渡到社会成功的囚犯。Â一些州，如宾夕法尼亚，被减刑释放非暴力犯人为了他们参与量刑程序的替代品。ÂÂ然而，为了接收选择量刑，犯罪者必须符合一定的资格，如不具有很长的犯罪记录，没有犯重罪，不能自己或社区带来风险。
Crimes such as drug possession, petty theft, and forgery are non-violent, sometimes victimless crimes, yet over half the United States' prison population consists of these type of offenders. Most prisons in the United States house more prisoners than they were built to hold. The United States spends more than forty billion dollars each year on incarceration. Prison overcrowding seems to be the reason that many offenders are kept out of prison, sentenced to short prison terms, and released long before their sentence is complete. Child molesters, armed robbers, and rapists are often paroled as a solution to easing prison overcrowding. Meanwhile, some first-time offenders that commit non-violent crimes are not given the opportunity to be paroled and sometimes end up serving more time than offenders that commit violent crimes.
Alternative sentencing can serve as a remedy to prison overcrowding and unfair punishment. Alternative sentencing is a program designed to make punishments fit the crime. Rather than sending a non-violent offender to prison, offenders are alternatively sentenced to punishments such as probation, electronic monitoring, community service, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Alternative sentencing can help to keep an offender from re- offending, thus decreasing the prison population and spending less taxpayer money on prisons. It can also help inmates who have completed their sentence transition back into society successfully.  Some states, like Pennsylvania, are reducing prison sentences and releasing non-violent prisoners in order for them to participate in alternative sentencing programs.  However, in order to receive alternative sentencing, offenders must meet certain qualifications such as not having a lengthy criminal record, not having committed a serious felony, and must not pose a risk to themselves or the community.
根据Bennet的说法，“布兰代斯大学的国家Â量刑方案对北卡罗莱纳囚犯的犯罪历史和它的主任，Mike Corrigan研究所，说他的工作人员发现，20至百分之30北卡罗莱纳囚犯可能被安全地惩罚监狱外（Bennet，10杆）。”Â机构像布兰代斯提出建议国家立法者的选择量刑程序。Â。Â不幸的是，国家立法者可以通过法律，防止法官利用替代量刑尤其是在选举年。运行他们的活动在“严惩犯罪”的口号的政客，使其替代方案继续存在或新项目要创造困难，法官的地位运行Â候选人不支持这些程序和法官，为竞选连任往往不是句子或者在大选年。Â一然而，大多数的程序，“严惩犯罪”有利于政客是年轻的男性罪犯的训练营。Â这个计划开始于佐治亚州，现在由11个国家使用，可以说是有效地工作。ÂBoot Camp是一个更便宜的选择进监狱。Â采用军事类学科培养年轻的男人不想选择生活的犯罪和不太可能再犯时释放的程序。ÂÂ
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ替代惩罚其他的例子是社区服务，它可以非常有效的因为它使用罪犯从事公共劳动。Â可以节省的钱为县，市，并利用这个免费的劳动力的国家。Â酒精有关的犯罪，如对Â惩罚是安装在一个罪犯的车辆只允许发动机在一个人吹进一个对他或她的呼吸没有酒精开始有酒精。Â这是由加害人支付的，可以为犯罪人消耗酒精，一个成功的威慑力，同时保持Â醉酒司机上路。Â量刑小偷做一个全职的工作，用自己的薪水支付赔偿给受害人可以为罪犯犯下另一个入室盗窃的威慑。Â藏毒指控一个人是少量的药物可以被查处使用Â从检察官有没有人自愿报名参加一个物质滥用计划认罪协议。Â人逃税罪名成立Â可以判处罚金和缓刑而不是被判刑。Â非暴力罪犯必须愿意，必须要选择量刑程序是有效的，康复的迹象。Â一些程序要求罪犯保留就业，服从随机药物检查，E电子监控，并与缓刑人员的每周例会。Â
According to Bennet, "Brandeis University's National Institute for Sentencing Alternatives studied North Carolina prisoner's criminal histories and its director, Mike Corrigan, said his staff found that 20 to 30 percent of North Carolina prisoners were likely to be safely punished outside prison (Bennet, par 10)."  Institutions like Brandeis make recommendations to state legislators for alternative sentencing programs. . Unfortunately, state legislators can pass laws that prevent judges from using alternative sentencing especially during election years. Politicians that run their campaigns on the "get tough on crime" slogan, make it difficult for alternative programs to stay in existence or new programs to be created. Candidates running for the position of judge do not support these programs and judges that are up for re-election tend not to sentence alternatively during election years. One program, however, that most "get tough on crime" politicians are in favor of is boot-camp for young male offenders. This program was started in Georgia and is now being used by 11 states and is said to be working effectively.  Boot camp is a much cheaper alternative to prison. It uses a military type of discipline that trains young men to not want to choose to live a life of crime and are less likely to re-offend when released from the program. Â
       Other examples of alternative punishment are community service, which can be very cost effective because it uses offenders to perform public labor. It can save money for counties, cities, and states by using this free labor. A punishment for alcohol related crimes like DUI  is having a breathalyzer installed on an offender's vehicle which only allows the engine to start after a person blows into it an has no alcohol on his or her breath. This is paid for by the offender and can be a successful deterrent for the offender to consume alcohol, while keeping drunk drivers off the road.  Sentencing a petty thief to work a full time job and use his salary to pay restitution to his victim can be a deterrent for an offender to commit another burglary. A drug possession charge where a person is caught with a small amount of drugs can be punished using a plea deal from the prosecutor to have the person voluntarily enroll in a substance abuse program. People convicted of tax evasion can be sentenced to a fine and probation rather than being given a prison sentence. Non-violent offenders have to be willing to commit and must want to be show signs of rehabilitation in order for alternative sentencing programs to be effective. Some programs require an offender to retain employment, submit to random drug screenings, electronic monitoring, and weekly meetings with probation officers.Â
An individual's circumstances and environment can be an influence in committing a crime. Someone born into poverty and living in a drug infested community, is more likely to commit a crime than a person who is brought up in better surroundings. These facts are often taken into consideration when a judge hands down a sentence. Because of this, some people oppose alternative punishment.  Living in a community that has a high crime rate often leads an offender to re-offend when he is released. Other circumstances like mental illness can be a reason for an individual to commit a crime. Mental illness is another factor that is taken into consideration when a judge hands down a sentence. California has implemented a law that allows alternative sentencing for some veterans. An example of this is an ex-marine that served in the war in Iraq, suffering from and extreme case of post traumatic stress disorder. He walked into a bank unarmed and used a note demanding money from a bank teller. According to the law, the judge could have sentenced him to 5 years in prison, but he was instead placed in a treatment facility.   In the article "Coming Home", Sample states that "In addition to combat vets with PTSD, the law applies to those suffering from substance abuse or unspecified psychological ailments (Sample, par 4)."
 Many lawyers actually advertise alternative punishment as a means of obtaining clients. These lawyers make every effort to keep an offender out of prison. Some find this to be a despicable means of advertisement as it lures criminals to certain lawyers in order to avoid a prison sentence. Advertisements of this type are useful for an offender that has no criminal record and is convicted of a misdemeanor. The lawyer can help a client like this to receive punishment such as probation, community service, electronic monitoring, or substance abuse treatment.  After completing his or her alternative sentence, this offender will more than likely be rehabilitated and less likely to re-offend. On the other hand, alternative sentencing is not likely if these lawyers defend individuals charged with a felony and have lengthy criminal records. Â
Some states such as California and Michigan, utilize a Jail Overcrowding Task Force.  The main purpose for this task force is come up with ways to use prison resources to prevent prison overcrowding and save taxpayer dollars for more useful programs such as health care and education.  The down side to this is that some counties utilize early release programs for prisoners with very short sentences and do not require offenders to participate in any type community service or rehabilitation program.  On the other hand, there are work furlough programs that include electronic monitoring. This is a more acceptable means of alternative punishment.  Inmates with short sentences are allowed to obtain employment while serving their sentence. A portion of the offender's paycheck is garnished and paid to the state as a means of paying for his or her incarceration... To further alleviate prison overcrowding, electronic monitoring is sometime allowed for these individuals so they are not utilizing a prison bed that can be used for a violent criminal. A down side to this is the program was expanded and now allows unemployed individuals to participate in electronic monitoring without paying any money to the state.
According to Edge, "some judges have returned to the colonial sentence of shaming to punish people convicted of crimes." (83). This type of punishment is called public notice. Public notice is a punishment that publicly shames the criminal in an attempt to change his or her attitude and conduct. An excellent example of this is a judge ordering a man convicted of accidental homicide to parade in front of a bar with a sign that read, "I killed two people while driving drunk." This public ridicule often deters a criminal from re-offending.
The Victim-Offender Mediation Program (VOMP) is a program that involves the victim of a crime. Offenders have a face-to-face meeting with the victim or victim's family members and a trained mediator. The offender is told how his or her crime affected the victim and/or family. This can make the offender feel remorse for his crime and explain why he committed the crime and even apologize for it. This program is often successful with juvenile offenders that commit non-violent crimes.
 In conclusion, each state has its own rules for the punishment of criminals called sentencing guidelines, which are sentencing policies prosecutors and judges use for people convicted of serious misdemeanors and felonies. The crime and the criminal's previous criminal history are considered when a judge hands down a sentence. People that oppose alternative sentencing argue that an individual's circumstances are unique and should be considered during sentencing, otherwise there is a possibility of re-offending. People in favor of alternative sentencing argue that otherwise, judges could sentence offenders to different punishments for the same crime. The end result is that prison overcrowding in the United States will never end unless alternative sentencing programs are utilized for non-violent offenders. Prisoners incarcerated for violent crimes and who have lengthy criminal records should not even be considered for alternative sentences.
根据边缘，“一些法官回到殖民句羞辱惩罚的罪行而被定罪的人。”（83）。这种类型的惩罚被称为公共通知。公告是一种惩罚，公开羞辱在试图改变他或她的态度和行为的犯罪。这一个很好的例子是法官命令一男子因意外杀人在酒吧里写前游行，“我杀了两个人酒后驾驶。”这个公众的嘲笑经常阻止罪犯再犯罪。
刑事和解程序（vomp）是一个程序，涉及到犯罪的受害者。罪犯有一个面对面的会见受害者或受害者的家庭成员和一个训练有素的调解员。这个罪犯被告知他或她的犯罪是如何影响受害者和/或家庭的。这可以使犯罪人对他的犯罪感到自责，并解释为什么他犯了罪，甚至道歉。这个计划往往是成功的青少年罪犯犯下非暴力犯罪。
Â总之，每个国家都有自己的惩罚罪犯称为量刑指导规则，这是检察官和法官量刑政策用于犯有严重轻罪和重罪的人。Â犯罪和罪犯的犯罪历史是以前当法官的手下一个句子。反对的人认为，一个人选择量刑的情况都是独特的，应考虑在量刑，否则有可能重新犯罪，量刑有利于替代Â人认为，否则，法官可以判犯同罪不同的处罚。最终的结果是，监狱人满为患，在美国将永远不会结束，除非其他量刑程序是用于非暴力罪犯。Â囚犯关押的暴力犯罪和那些冗长的犯罪记录，甚至不应该考虑替代的句子。