Land of the Free

[ClosedCaption]

You might think it would be China (with 1+ billion people and a restrictive government) or former Soviets still imprisoned in Russia.

Wrong. The United States has the most people in prison by far of any country in the world. With 5% of the world’s population, we have 25% of the world’s prisoners – 2.3 million criminals. China with a population 4 times our size is second with 1.6 million people in prison.

In 1972, 350,000 Americans were in imprisoned. In 2010, this number had grown to 2.3 million. Yet from 1988 – 2008, crime rates have declined by 25%.

Isn't anyone in the liberal media interested in why so many people are in prison when crime has dropped? WTF "liberal media"?

File:US incarceration timeline-clean-fixed-timescale.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Freemason9]

You might think it would be China (with 1+ billion people and a restrictive government) or former Soviets still imprisoned in Russia.

Wrong. The United States has the most people in prison by far of any country in the world. With 5% of the world’s population, we have 25% of the world’s prisoners – 2.3 million criminals. China with a population 4 times our size is second with 1.6 million people in prison.

In 1972, 350,000 Americans were in imprisoned. In 2010, this number had grown to 2.3 million. Yet from 1988 – 2008, crime rates have declined by 25%.

Isn't anyone in the liberal media interested in why so many people are in prison when crime has dropped? WTF "liberal media"?

File:US incarceration timeline-clean-fixed-timescale.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Are you seriously gonna avoid the fact that this is largely the result of the Republican "get tough on crime" mantra that has engulfed the nation these last few decades?

The Republican answer to crime is always the same--longer, harsher sentencing guidelines, and bigger and more prisons. This is what it brought you.

 

[Defiant1]

You might think it would be China (with 1+ billion people and a restrictive government) or former Soviets still imprisoned in Russia.

Wrong. The United States has the most people in prison by far of any country in the world. With 5% of the world’s population, we have 25% of the world’s prisoners – 2.3 million criminals. China with a population 4 times our size is second with 1.6 million people in prison.

In 1972, 350,000 Americans were in imprisoned. In 2010, this number had grown to 2.3 million. Yet from 1988 – 2008, crime rates have declined by 25%.

Isn't anyone in the liberal media interested in why so many people are in prison when crime has dropped? WTF "liberal media"?

File:US incarceration timeline-clean-fixed-timescale.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Are you implying that there are many people in prison who are innocent?

 

[OKTexas]

Other countries have no problems killing people that deserve to die, check and see what the life expectancy of a drug dealer in China is. We just lock up most of our hardened criminals for life, as the population grows the prison populations will grow also because there are a certain percentage that will break the law.

 

[francoHFW]

Reaganism suqs- ay caramba...

 

[francoHFW]

USA leads modern world in rich/poor gap, poverty, incarceration, and executions. And stupid voters lol...

 

[Freemason9]

You might think it would be China (with 1+ billion people and a restrictive government) or former Soviets still imprisoned in Russia.

Wrong. The United States has the most people in prison by far of any country in the world. With 5% of the world’s population, we have 25% of the world’s prisoners – 2.3 million criminals. China with a population 4 times our size is second with 1.6 million people in prison.

In 1972, 350,000 Americans were in imprisoned. In 2010, this number had grown to 2.3 million. Yet from 1988 – 2008, crime rates have declined by 25%.

Isn't anyone in the liberal media interested in why so many people are in prison when crime has dropped? WTF "liberal media"?

File:US incarceration timeline-clean-fixed-timescale.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Are you implying that there are many people in prison who are innocent?

No, I'm telling you that prison terms in the U.S. are extremely excessive and counterproductive. Here's an example:

Some guy comes home to find out his wife is cheating on him. He gets mad and knocks out the other guy with a bat. He gets 15-25 years for assault with a deadly weapon, reckless endangerment, terroristic threats, domestic abuse, and cheating at cards (j/k). At a fiscal cost of $30k per year per inmate, and an immeasurable human cost, why wouldn't a prison term of 18 months be just as effective? Prison is prison. We have turned prison into a cultural subset.

This is sheer insanity.

In Europe, the crime of murder might bring a 15 year sentence. And their homicide rate is far, far lower.

 

[Freemason9]

Other countries have no problems killing people that deserve to die, check and see what the life expectancy of a drug dealer in China is. We just lock up most of our hardened criminals for life, as the population grows the prison populations will grow also because there are a certain percentage that will break the law.

This is true only if you are using China to determine death penalty standards in Oklahoma and Texas.

But if you believe China represents all "other countries," you're just plain stupid.

 

[Yurt]

not that i agree with all prison sentences, however, the article begs the question....more people in prison and we now have lower crime rates....hmmmmm

 

[TNHarley]

more people more prisoners
some laws should laxed..
wonder what parts of the country the incarcerated are.. just sayin

 

[Freemason9]

not that i agree with all prison sentences, however, the article begs the question....more people in prison and we now have lower crime rates....hmmmmm

Interestingly, lower crime rates significantly correspond with a period of time beginning 15 years after Roe -v- Wade. Legalized abortion arguably has prevented the birth of millions of low-income, high-risk crack babies that would have committed most crimes.

So abortion is an effective crime-fighting tool.

 

[TNHarley]

USA leads modern world in rich/poor gap, poverty, incarceration, and executions. And stupid voters lol...

u are wrong about the executuions. if china didnt execute 2000(versus the us with like 45) plus people their incarcerated rate would be higher, too. rat dupe

 

[TNHarley]

not that i agree with all prison sentences, however, the article begs the question....more people in prison and we now have lower crime rates....hmmmmm

Interestingly, lower crime rates significantly correspond with a period of time beginning 15 years after Roe -v- Wade. Legalized abortion arguably has prevented the birth of millions of low-income, high-risk crack babies that would have committed most crimes.

So abortion is an effective crime-fighting tool.

so is executive privilege

 

[eflatminor]

In 1972, 350,000 Americans were in imprisoned. In 2010, this number had grown to 2.3 million. Yet from 1988 – 2008, crime rates have declined by 25%.

If I were to play devil's advocate, one could argue that's WHY crime rates have declined.

That said, as a libertarian, I stand against putting anyone in prison for consensual activity among adults. Unfortunately, that's the majority of people in prison - those that never hurt nor took from another.

I say the problem is not the rate of incarceration, but what we consider illegal.

 

[Freemason9]

Yet from 1988 – 2008, crime rates have declined by 25%.

Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, exactly 15 years prior to the period of the declining crime rate you pointed out.

Interestingly, many girls in impoverished high-crime environments would have started having children at about 15 years of age.

Yes, legalized abortion resulted in a decline in the crime rate.

Next question?

 

[Katzndogz]

What a chart! It's an eye opener.

Crime started to skyrocket as third world immigration skyrocketed.

 

[Freemason9]

What a chart! It's an eye opener.

Crime started to skyrocket as third world immigration skyrocketed.

What chart?

I think the crime rate in the U.S. started to increase around 1492 or so.

 

[Pete7469]

Other countries have no problems killing people that deserve to die, check and see what the life expectancy of a drug dealer in China is. We just lock up most of our hardened criminals for life, as the population grows the prison populations will grow also because there are a certain percentage that will break the law.

Not to mention how hard we work to protect prisoners from each other. In some countries prisoners do not even get fed unless their families supply their food.

 

[francoHFW]

USA leads modern world in rich/poor gap, poverty, incarceration, and executions. And stupid voters lol...

u are wrong about the executuions. if china didnt execute 2000(versus the us with like 45) plus people their incarcerated rate would be higher, too. rat dupe

China is not the modern world, Pub dupe MORON. Think original EU, Canada, Japan, NZ, Oz. Arguing with Pub dupes, stupidest voters in the modern world. Just love being screwed by fast talking con men Pubs.

 

[francoHFW]

The crime rate rocketed with Reaganism, like homelessness, poverty, middle class ruin, rich people's wealth, STUPID WARS, infrastucture falling apart, BS hateful propaganda, moron loudmouth GOP voters, corrupt bubbles, recessions, and real scandals etc. A disaster, hater dupes.