The Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender Relief Act of 2013 seeks to amend the United States Code, title 18 of crimes and criminal procedures.  This would take more discretionary practices away from state prisons and require that they abide by a federal code in determining whether or not an inmate should qualify for early release.  It would require that a nonviolent inmate who has served half or more of his/her sentence and has met certain conditions be released pursuant to good time policy. However, this bill was first introduced into the House of Representatives in January of 2013 thus it still has multiple obstacles before it is mandated.  If it were put into action, it would lead to the early release of numerous eligible inmates, as well as most likely serving as an aid in the reduction of overcrowding in prisons. 

Probation and parole are forms of community corrections that are utilized in order to decrease overpopulation in prisons and jails.  Supervised probation involves the direction and guidance of a probation officer in the community.  The probation officer ensures that the offender is abiding by the rules of their release, such as submitting to drug testing, as well as helping the offender readjust to life outside of prison.  Supervised probation of nonviolent offenders often requires the use of electronic monitoring and tracking devices.  In probation and parole, the threat of incarceration remains present and is therefore always an element in community corrections.
“The average annual per capita cost of institutional care ranges from $2,500 to $5,000 compared with $300 to $400 for probationary supervision.” The cost of probation remains significantly less than the costs of a correctional facility and housing a nonviolent offender.  However, it is clear that probation is is not being exercised to its full extent as prison overcrowding remains an issue.   As legislators begin to take action in reducing overcrowding, overall costs of prisons, and the rate of recidivism, it is possible that probation and parole will be utilized more often for nonviolent offenders, rather than sentencing them to imprisonment in United States prisons.

Sentencing reforms in the form of immediate sanctions have been put into use as an alternative to prison for nonviolent offenders.  These are typically used in the cases of first- time juvenile offenders who have committed nonviolent crimes.  It utilizes diversion and the restorative justice approach.  Immediate Sanctions allow the offender to escape the stigma of the court process and a criminal conviction and assists in reducing the heavy traffic in the courts system.  They are also methods of saving money by diverting offenders to community supervision programs, such as day programs and drug treatment programs.  
Halfway houses are a form of immediate sanction and aid the offender in treating possible addictions and reintegrate back into the community while simultaneously reducing overcrowding in prisons.  This also keeps released inmates off of the streets and prevents them from becoming homeless following their release.  Immediate sanctions provide a diversion from imprisonment and give individuals a chance to better themselves while becoming assimilated with their community once more.  
