We're #1!! Wait, what was the category?

[DanL911sc]

http://presscue.com/node/24387

The US adult prison, parole and probation population reached 7.2 million, an increase of 159,500 during the year, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today in a new report, making the country the world's leading jailer.

At the end of 2006, more than 2.25 million persons were incarcerated in US prisons and jails, an all-time high, representing an incarceration rate of 751 per 100,000 US residents, the highest such rate in the world, human rights groups point out.

... The US rate is also substantially higher than that of routine human rights violators including Libya (217 per 100,000), Iran (212), and China (119).

Man, when did we pass Russia?? I though for sure they'd keep the title...

[legion]

Those other countries execute people for many crimes that we give life sentences for...

[nynor]

yay! for the war on drugs! i knew something positive would come of it!

[the]

Nothing wrong with that stat, to me.

That's less than 1%.

I think in any population, substantially more than 1% are just plain bad guy criminals who deserved to be in jail. I don't see how this is a "human rights" issue, unless someone is saying that the people we have in jail really aren't criminals or don't really belong to be there.

[DanL911sc]

Originally Posted by the

Nothing wrong with that stat, to me.

That's less than 1%.

I think in any population, substantially more than 1% are just plain bad guy criminals who deserved to be in jail. I don't see how this is a "human rights" issue, unless someone is saying that the people we have in jail really aren't criminals or don't really belong to be there.

So by that logic if you traveled to say, Europe (UK is 148 per 100,000 and France is 85), there's going to be far more criminals wandering the streets? Or do they tend to stay home? Seems like a major problem waiting to happen!

[the]

Don't know, and don't see how that is relevant.

As I read your post, some "human rights" organization is suggesting that the US is violating human rights because the incarceration rate is 700/100,000. I don't see the connection between that incarceration rates and purported violations of human rights.

[nynor]

pretty soon it will be illegal to use more than two squares of toilet paper per crap. then we will be discussing your arse cooling it in prison. god bless big brother!

[Rikao4]

but did they factor in..we let them out early,let them sue, they get TV & visits, some even get to choose where they serve time.

Rika

[DanL911sc]

Originally Posted by the

Don't know, and don't see how that is relevant.

As I read your post, some "human rights" organization is suggesting that the US is violating human rights because the incarceration rate is 700/100,000. I don't see the connection between that incarceration rates and purported violations of human rights.

I see a few options:

1) The US has just got more criminals than other nations
2) The US locks people up more aggressively and/or for more crimes
3) The US fails to execute a large number of prisoners that all other nations would have executed.

#3 does seem not seem likely. I mean, are there hundreds of prisoners (per 100,000 pop.) who are serving long or life sentences who should really be executed? I don't think so.
#1 is certainly a possibility -- where did we go wrong? This is an interesting line of thought, if depressing.
#2 may well be a human rights violation. Maybe we don't care? Maybe our system is far from perfect too.

[Jeff Higgins]

I've seen numbers as high as 80% that are claimed to be in on non-violent drug related violations. Either possession, dealing, stealing to support a habit, or whatever. It is astonishing to think we could reduce our prison populations so dramatically by simply ending this silly "war on drugs".

Problem is, incarceration is big business here in America. As more and more states privatize their prison systems, more and more folks make money by maintaining a healthy customer base of inmates. That, and the "war on drugs" is a huge money-making enterprise. We spend billions every year fighting this "war". Combine these two influences, and we have a pretty damn unsavory money making machine at work.

Next to traffic laws, drug laws are the most often violated in this country. The "war" benefits no one other than the ones making money from it. When will the public wake up to the fact that we are spending billions every year to track down, arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate non-violent offenders who are filling up our prisons? These people need treatment, not incarceration. There is just not as much money in treatment, and it goes to different places. Those with their hands in the public's pocket are not going to give that up any time soon.

[DanL911sc]

War on drugs, war on crime, war on poverty, war on terror. The only declared wars we fight are ones we can't ever "win". We just fight and fight and fight. The only ones who benefit are those that receive our tax money. Just continue feeding the beast so you can sleep well at night. Those demons (drugs, criminals, poor people, terrorists) will torment you until you open your wallets wide enough.

[the]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I've seen numbers as high as 80% that are claimed to be in on non-violent drug related violations. Either possession, dealing, stealing to support a habit, or whatever. It is astonishing to think we could reduce our prison populations so dramatically by simply ending this silly "war on drugs".

That starts to lead to a more interesting debate.

Although I wonder if 80% are really in prison for possession or dealing of lightweight drugs (i.e. pot), or non-violent thefts.

I agree the "war on drugs" is a failure, and that at least some drugs, like pot, should be legalized.

It does become a bit of a difficult issue, though. Like should all drugs, including coke, heroin, meth, be completely legalized? For sale like beer at 7-11? That seems a bit extreme, but I'd consider an argument for it.

Because once you start regulating it, even to the level of prescription drugs, you are going to have roughly the same number of people breaking essentially the same laws as we have today.

[legion]

The War on Drugs is the biggest for-profit war ever waged.

Police departments get to keep (and auction) property that they seize in the war.

The DEA and police departments get huge amounts of budget money/grants to fight the war in an increasingly quasi-military fashion.

Programs like D.A.R.E. are for-profit corporations that give guilt-relief to the middle class.

[nynor]

have you seen the numbers for the percentage of black american males that are or have been incarcerated? i can't remember the figure for sure, but it somewhere in the 70% range. ridiculous.

as for the war on (insert flavor of the administration here), you can bet its all about money. money and keeping the tax base anxious.

[john70t]

And Detroit got the #1 murder capitol title back. Yeah! No#1, No#1.

[TechnoViking]

The War on Drugs is the biggest for-profit war ever waged.

Police departments get to keep (and auction) property that they seize in the war.

The DEA and police departments get huge amounts of budget money/grants to fight the war in an increasingly quasi-military fashion.

Programs like D.A.R.E. are for-profit corporations that give guilt-relief to the middle class.

All true. But insignificant compared to the profit associated with selling the drugs. Illegal drugs create a massive, secret, tax-free economy with no paper trail. Perfect for bribing government officials, and doing other things off the record.

Drugs will remain illegal...and very, very profitable for those that keep them that way.

[nynor]

^amen. we still haven't learned the 'lesson' of prohibition.

[Superman]

You guys are a bunch of liberals, talking as if America's enforcement of morality is an inappropriate commercial venture.

[strupgolf]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I've seen numbers as high as 80% that are claimed to be in on non-violent drug related violations. Either possession, dealing, stealing to support a habit, or whatever. It is astonishing to think we could reduce our prison populations so dramatically by simply ending this silly "war on drugs".

Problem is, incarceration is big business here in America. As more and more states privatize their prison systems, more and more folks make money by maintaining a healthy customer base of inmates. That, and the "war on drugs" is a huge money-making enterprise. We spend billions every year fighting this "war". Combine these two influences, and we have a pretty damn unsavory money making machine at work.

Next to traffic laws, drug laws are the most often violated in this country. The "war" benefits no one other than the ones making money from it. When will the public wake up to the fact that we are spending billions every year to track down, arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate non-violent offenders who are filling up our prisons? These people need treatment, not incarceration. There is just not as much money in treatment, and it goes to different places. Those with their hands in the public's pocket are not going to give that up any time soon.

Jeff, you hit the nail on the head. It's all about the money.

[CurtEgerer]

"And Detroit got the #1 murder capitol title back. Yeah! No#1, No#1."

Our economy may be #50, but at least we've got something going for us. And Flint made a respectable showing at #3!