Recently, growing attention has been paid to the concept of "incapacitation " as a
crime-control device. Much of the increased interest in incapacitation has been
the result of the existence of a developing consensus that other utilitarian
punishment options, such as rehabilitation, are ineffective combined with an
intuitive trust in the simple logic of incapacitation: incarcerated offenders can
commit no crimes. An illustration of the importance of this growth in support for
incapacitation is provided by the release in 1981 of the Report of the Attorney
General's Commission on Violent Crime, which took a position staunchly
supportive of incapacitation. The purpose of this paper is to point out some of the
complexities underlying any attempt to implement a full-scale incapacitative model
through the increased use of imprisonment. Our position is that, far from simple, the
renewed use of incapacitative strategies is frought with difficulties. We expressly
avoid a lengthy discussion of moral issues underlying the model, though we
recognize their seriousness, as well. Instead, we point out technical concerns that
make the effectiveness of an incapacitative approach problematic.
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