America's Gulag Just Keeps Growing

[nhboy]

"The U.S. dwarfs the rest of the world when it comes to locking up its citizens, due in large part to madness of our incarceration policies.

We're No. 1! We're No. 1! The New York Times' Adam Liptak wrote a disturbing front-page story on Wednesday about how the United States dwarfs the rest of the world when it comes to locking up its citizens. The United States has less than 5 percent of the world's population, but a quarter of the world's prisoners. There are now 2.3 million people behind bars in the United States. According to the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics' most recent report, the number of people incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails jumped by more than 60,000 in the year ending June 30, 2006. That jump represents the largest increase since 2000.

The United States continues to rank first among all nations in both total prison/jail population and per capita incarceration rates. The United States has held first place for decades, followed by China (with more than four times our population) at 1.6 million and Russia at 885,670, according to the International Centre for Prison Studies at King's College in London."

America's Gulag Just Keeps Growing

 

[ImnoMensa]

I dont agree at all that those in prison are there because of our madness in incarceration policies. they are there because they broke the friggin law and 12 people , their peers ,said they were guilty.

Being a drug dealer and a career criminal seems to be a vocation for may people in this country.

What frightens me is not the amount of people jailed in this country,but the amount of gangbangers and people who should be in jail who arent.

 

[MMDad]

followed by China (with more than four times our population) at 1.6 million

It's sad when people are so intent on hating the US that they believe the numbers China reports.

Of course their "offiicial" numbers are lower. They execute violent criminals without handwringing and worrying about the poor guy having three seconds of pain as his heart stops.

There is also the fact that they "re-educate" offenders rather than put them in prison. It looks like prison and feels like prison, but it isn't prison because the Chinese government said so.

Stupid gullible people falling for this crap.

 

[vegmom]

Last I checked Russia was a real shinning example of law and order.

 

[RadioPatrol]

There are now 2.3 million people behind bars in the United States. According to the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics' most recent report, the number of people incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails jumped by more than 60,000 in the year ending June 30, 2006.

Hmm

2.300.000 divided by 300.000.000 ( US POP ) = .00766666 *100 = .766666666

so less than 1% of the POP is in jail .......... :shrug:

how many are not in jail that should be, and are they still filling jails with non violent drug users - instead of getting substance abuser treatment ....