Could it be that building more prisons and putting more people in jail did what the proponents said it would?
Interesting thought. Actually, I think most states have had to cut back on prison expenses due to budget problems. Even Texas has had to release more prisoners on parole, create drug courts, etc. From the vantage point of the states, the last thing they need is to lock up more drug offenders.
Then again, this article only addresses violent crime.