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  • WEDNESDAY JUNE 27 2007 6:00 PM

USA is #1...in Prison Population

Submitted by evanharos

Edited by erin_broadley



New Justice Department statistics indicate that the number of people in prison in the United States has grown at the highest rate since 2000. That's right, the Land of the Free has more people in jail than any other country in the world with nearly 2.25 million behind bars. Communist China came in a distant second with only 1.5 million.

It said the nation's prison and jail populations increased by more than 62,000 inmates, or 2.8 percent, to about 2,245,000 inmates in the 12-month period that ended on June 30, 2006. It was the biggest jump in numbers and percentage change in six years.


Experts say the increase is mostly attributed to tougher sentencing laws and drug-related offenses. About two-thirds of the country’s prisoners are in state or federal jails while the rest are doing time in the local pokey. Most of them are male, but an unprecedented rise in female prison populations is closing the gender gap.

"Misguided policies that create harsher sentences for nonviolent drug offenses are disproportionately responsible for the increasing rates of women in prisons and jails," Marci Mauer, executive director of the Sentencing Project, a Washington-based group that supports criminal justice reform.


With all the talk of the decline of America isn’t it good to know that the US is number one in something?

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fun_gal_shy_guy

fun_gal_shy_guy

Pikeville, KY
September 2006

JUN 28, 2007 12:55 PM

Untimely said:

fun_gal_shy_guy said:
Well hmmm...... go do something about it. Write to a congressman... hold protests... it's your rights as a citizen of the United States... But ya know if you don't want to do that either.. I guess it is easier to moan and groan.



I never understand why someone always ends up taking this position.

Can't people do both? How do you know what action people have taken? Perhaps some of us have given money, time and part of our professional lives trying to solve some of this country's more absurd fucking social problems.

Is there something wrong with bitching and debating on a website, eliciting some solid thoughts and positions on the topic, and then taking those views to our representatives or taking some other action?
Isn't that what democracy is all about?

Don't you see the irony of whining and bitching about people 'moaning and groaning' about something? (And yes, I see the irony of me bitching about bitching about bitching, but I've actually got a point besides my own petulance).

If you're so sick of hearing people complain, why read these boards in the first place? You should realize that, no matter what, internet debates always disintegrate into an ignorant, uninformed, name-calling, fallacy-fest of idiocy. But sometimes, once in a while, people actually bring up good points, that writing about thoughts helps to clarify them, and sometimes there's something to be learned in the whole mess.



I agree with you... for the most part except I wasn't bitching... I was making a point though. These forums are great for expressing ideas... however without action what's the point? How come I rarely see someone say "Hey there is a rally for prostesting unfair treatment of penisies during masterbation"

Yes people can do both... but rarely do.

Some say one person can't make a difference... I say wrong answer. Need I remind you to read the whole statement I made... if your gonna quote someone make sure the whole quote gets quoted... so everyone can see my WHOLE point...

"If more people actually became more involved with what they complained about then just maybe we would live in a better world. If you are doing your part... then complain to the buddies that sit on their ass and yet agree with you. "

So I say again, if your doing your part, complain to the lazy bastards that are agreeing with you and sitting on their ass. Otherwise complaints fall on deaf ears.

fun_gal_shy_guy

fun_gal_shy_guy

Pikeville, KY
September 2006

JUN 28, 2007 12:58 PM

P.S. I hope everyone got the joke about the rally... I mean who really cares about the mistreated penis lol

bedukay

bedukay

Endicott, NY
March 2003

JUN 28, 2007 01:43 PM

Not very much different from when I was in high school 13 years ago and did one of my many reports/presentations on drug legalization for Participation in Government (it was my opinion that it could solve almost any government ill with the taxes alone). The statistics were very similar back then too. I don't even use illegal drugs recreationally but I think it's sad that non-violent drug offenders make up such a huge majority of inmates when white collar criminals (which IMHO has the highest social cost and therefore should have the harshest penalties) are incarcerated at lesser rates.

smithers_jones

smithers_jones

I'm lost
November 2003

JUN 28, 2007 03:24 PM

bedukay said:
Not very much different from when I was in high school 13 years ago and did one of my many reports/presentations on drug legalization for Participation in Government (it was my opinion that it could solve almost any government ill with the taxes alone). The statistics were very similar back then too. I don't even use illegal drugs recreationally but I think it's sad that non-violent drug offenders make up such a huge majority of inmates when white collar criminals (which IMHO has the highest social cost and therefore should have the harshest penalties) are incarcerated at lesser rates.


13 years ago the US had about half as many people incarcerated--the number hit 1 million in the mid 1990s; it now tops 2.2 million. The fact that drug use peaked in the late 1970s and the crime rate peaked in the early 1980s, suggests that something other than cracking down on "crime" and drug use is driving these policies to mass incarcerate large segments of the population.

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