There are politicians who have seen their careers torpedoed by opponents who used a lone vote, or even a comment, to create a dreaded "soft-on-crime" image at election time. Still, in some states, policy-makers on both sides of the aisle are nding a safe path through this mineeld. In some cases, the soaring costs of imprisonment have hindered spending on other vital programs to a degree that manvr nd unacceptable. At the same time, polls Show a shift in public attitudes toward crime, which has dropped down the list of issues of most concern to voters. Taken together, these factors coupled with new strategies that can cut recidivism rates are fueling a bipartisan appetite for new approaches. The PEW Center on the States, \"One in DneHundred: Behind Bars in America 2008" MAIN CONCLUSION: REASONS} FOR THE MAIN CONCLUSION: ARGUMENT SOUNDNESS: ANALYSIS