Why are US prison sentences so long compared to most of the western world?

[buddhallah_the_christ]

"America has a strong tradition of 'personal responsibility', the kind of mentality that suggests if you're poor it's because you didn't work hard enough and if you committed a crime it's because you chose to. In Europe there is more likely to be an acknowledgement of societies influence on crime (poverty, opportunity, addiction). This may not be at the lawmaking level, but I feel it changes the expectations of the community and therefore applies pressure to the lawmakers".
Something I've always wondered.
It's doesn't seem to be deterring crime, because EU seems to have lower crime rates, although lax punishments.
So, why?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

"America has a strong tradition of 'personal responsibility', the kind of mentality that suggests if you're poor it's because you didn't work hard enough and if you committed a crime it's because you chose to. In Europe there is more likely to be an acknowledgement of societies influence on crime (poverty, opportunity, addiction). This may not be at the lawmaking level, but I feel it changes the expectations of the community and therefore applies pressure to the lawmakers".
Something I've always wondered.
It's doesn't seem to be deterring crime, because EU seems to have lower crime rates, although lax punishments.
So, why?

Your first mistake is assuming the UK has less crime.
The most violent country in Europe Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S. Daily Mail Online

Do a little research before making unfounded accusations.

 

[HappyJoy]

"America has a strong tradition of 'personal responsibility', the kind of mentality that suggests if you're poor it's because you didn't work hard enough and if you committed a crime it's because you chose to. In Europe there is more likely to be an acknowledgement of societies influence on crime (poverty, opportunity, addiction). This may not be at the lawmaking level, but I feel it changes the expectations of the community and therefore applies pressure to the lawmakers".
Something I've always wondered.
It's doesn't seem to be deterring crime, because EU seems to have lower crime rates, although lax punishments.
So, why?

Your first mistake is assuming the UK has less crime.
The most violent country in Europe Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S. Daily Mail Online

Do a little research before making unfounded accusations.

What about the rest of the EU?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

"America has a strong tradition of 'personal responsibility', the kind of mentality that suggests if you're poor it's because you didn't work hard enough and if you committed a crime it's because you chose to. In Europe there is more likely to be an acknowledgement of societies influence on crime (poverty, opportunity, addiction). This may not be at the lawmaking level, but I feel it changes the expectations of the community and therefore applies pressure to the lawmakers".
Something I've always wondered.
It's doesn't seem to be deterring crime, because EU seems to have lower crime rates, although lax punishments.
So, why?

Your first mistake is assuming the UK has less crime.
The most violent country in Europe Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S. Daily Mail Online

Do a little research before making unfounded accusations.

What about the rest of the EU?

Do your own fucken research. I just proved you wrong in about five seconds and it wasnt my OP.

 

[HappyJoy]

"America has a strong tradition of 'personal responsibility', the kind of mentality that suggests if you're poor it's because you didn't work hard enough and if you committed a crime it's because you chose to. In Europe there is more likely to be an acknowledgement of societies influence on crime (poverty, opportunity, addiction). This may not be at the lawmaking level, but I feel it changes the expectations of the community and therefore applies pressure to the lawmakers".
Something I've always wondered.
It's doesn't seem to be deterring crime, because EU seems to have lower crime rates, although lax punishments.
So, why?

Your first mistake is assuming the UK has less crime.
The most violent country in Europe Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S. Daily Mail Online

Do a little research before making unfounded accusations.

What about the rest of the EU?

Do your own fucken research. I just proved you wrong in about five seconds and it wasnt my OP.

You proved me wrong? How?

 

[RandallFlagg]

I think the larger question is "Why are more people in the US incarcerated than any other country on earth?"

Watch this and learn:

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

"America has a strong tradition of 'personal responsibility', the kind of mentality that suggests if you're poor it's because you didn't work hard enough and if you committed a crime it's because you chose to. In Europe there is more likely to be an acknowledgement of societies influence on crime (poverty, opportunity, addiction). This may not be at the lawmaking level, but I feel it changes the expectations of the community and therefore applies pressure to the lawmakers".
Something I've always wondered.
It's doesn't seem to be deterring crime, because EU seems to have lower crime rates, although lax punishments.
So, why?

Your first mistake is assuming the UK has less crime.
The most violent country in Europe Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S. Daily Mail Online

Do a little research before making unfounded accusations.

What about the rest of the EU?

Do your own fucken research. I just proved you wrong in about five seconds and it wasnt my OP.

You proved me wrong? How?

If you're not even going to read the link I provided why am I wasting my time with you?

 

[HappyJoy]

"America has a strong tradition of 'personal responsibility', the kind of mentality that suggests if you're poor it's because you didn't work hard enough and if you committed a crime it's because you chose to. In Europe there is more likely to be an acknowledgement of societies influence on crime (poverty, opportunity, addiction). This may not be at the lawmaking level, but I feel it changes the expectations of the community and therefore applies pressure to the lawmakers".
Something I've always wondered.
It's doesn't seem to be deterring crime, because EU seems to have lower crime rates, although lax punishments.
So, why?

Your first mistake is assuming the UK has less crime.
The most violent country in Europe Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S. Daily Mail Online

Do a little research before making unfounded accusations.

What about the rest of the EU?

Do your own fucken research. I just proved you wrong in about five seconds and it wasnt my OP.

You proved me wrong? How?

If you're not even going to read the link I provided why am I wasting my time with you?

Can you point out what I said that you have disproven? Just quote me, that's all you have to do.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Your first mistake is assuming the UK has less crime.
The most violent country in Europe Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S. Daily Mail Online

Do a little research before making unfounded accusations.

What about the rest of the EU?

Do your own fucken research. I just proved you wrong in about five seconds and it wasnt my OP.

You proved me wrong? How?

If you're not even going to read the link I provided why am I wasting my time with you?

Can you point out what I said that you have disproven? Just quote me, that's all you have to do.

WTF? You're the one who stated there was less crime in the EU and I wasted a whole five seconds to prove you wrong.
How about you look into some other EU countries so I dont have to waste my time and make you look foolish on top of your first egregious error?

 

[HappyJoy]

What about the rest of the EU?

Do your own fucken research. I just proved you wrong in about five seconds and it wasnt my OP.

You proved me wrong? How?

If you're not even going to read the link I provided why am I wasting my time with you?

Can you point out what I said that you have disproven? Just quote me, that's all you have to do.

WTF? You're the one who stated there was less crime in the EU and I wasted a whole five seconds to prove you wrong.
How about you look into some other EU countries so I dont have to waste my time and make you look foolish on top of your first egregious error?

Then it should be all the easier for you to quote what I said that you have disproved. Quote me, bitch.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Do your own fucken research. I just proved you wrong in about five seconds and it wasnt my OP.

You proved me wrong? How?

If you're not even going to read the link I provided why am I wasting my time with you?

Can you point out what I said that you have disproven? Just quote me, that's all you have to do.

WTF? You're the one who stated there was less crime in the EU and I wasted a whole five seconds to prove you wrong.
How about you look into some other EU countries so I dont have to waste my time and make you look foolish on top of your first egregious error?

Then it should be all the easier for you to quote what I said that you have disproved. Quote me, bitch.

Go read your original post you short attention span moron.
Jesus,I already did your research for you now you want me to read back your own post?

 

[HappyJoy]

You proved me wrong? How?

If you're not even going to read the link I provided why am I wasting my time with you?

Can you point out what I said that you have disproven? Just quote me, that's all you have to do.

WTF? You're the one who stated there was less crime in the EU and I wasted a whole five seconds to prove you wrong.
How about you look into some other EU countries so I dont have to waste my time and make you look foolish on top of your first egregious error?

Then it should be all the easier for you to quote what I said that you have disproved. Quote me, bitch.

Go read your original post you short attention span moron.
Jesus,I already did your research for you now you want me to read back your own post?

What about the rest of the EU?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

If you're not even going to read the link I provided why am I wasting my time with you?

Can you point out what I said that you have disproven? Just quote me, that's all you have to do.

WTF? You're the one who stated there was less crime in the EU and I wasted a whole five seconds to prove you wrong.
How about you look into some other EU countries so I dont have to waste my time and make you look foolish on top of your first egregious error?

Then it should be all the easier for you to quote what I said that you have disproved. Quote me, bitch.

Go read your original post you short attention span moron.
Jesus,I already did your research for you now you want me to read back your own post?

What about the rest of the EU?

HappyJoy....Now I know where "ignorance is bliss" came from.

 

[HappyJoy]

Can you point out what I said that you have disproven? Just quote me, that's all you have to do.

WTF? You're the one who stated there was less crime in the EU and I wasted a whole five seconds to prove you wrong.
How about you look into some other EU countries so I dont have to waste my time and make you look foolish on top of your first egregious error?

Then it should be all the easier for you to quote what I said that you have disproved. Quote me, bitch.

Go read your original post you short attention span moron.
Jesus,I already did your research for you now you want me to read back your own post?

What about the rest of the EU?

HappyJoy....Now I know where "ignorance is bliss" came from.

Well, no. I wasn't asking you a question. What about the rest of the EU? That was my first post, the post you keep telling me you disproved. It was a fucking question you dolt.

But, onto your post, the stats cited in your source are comparing apples to oranges. The UK classifies violent crimes more liberally than the US does. Here, have at it:

By the Numbers Is the UK really 5 times more violent than the US The Skeptical Libertarian Blog

 

[HappyJoy]

Here is another source for you:

Social media post says U.K. has far higher violent crime rate than U.S. does PolitiFact

Basically, it appears that there is not a reliably accurate way to compare apples to apples as both these countries categorize their crimes differently. Your source was lazy and didn't bother to tell you this. The UK is 4 times more violent than the US? That alone should make you sit back and ponder your source. At least look into it rather than finding something that you just so happen to agree with and stop looking.

 

[suplex3000]

"America has a strong tradition of 'personal responsibility', the kind of mentality that suggests if you're poor it's because you didn't work hard enough and if you committed a crime it's because you chose to. In Europe there is more likely to be an acknowledgement of societies influence on crime (poverty, opportunity, addiction). This may not be at the lawmaking level, but I feel it changes the expectations of the community and therefore applies pressure to the lawmakers".
Something I've always wondered.
It's doesn't seem to be deterring crime, because EU seems to have lower crime rates, although lax punishments.
So, why?

Your first mistake is assuming the UK has less crime.
The most violent country in Europe Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S. Daily Mail Online

Do a little research before making unfounded accusations.

US has about 11.8 million crimes a year. The UK has about 6.5 million a year. The US now has 313 million people and the UK has 62.6 million people.
You are right. Statistics prove it enough but the discussion is about the length of sentences here.
they are unreasonably long in the USA. Don't you agree?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

"America has a strong tradition of 'personal responsibility', the kind of mentality that suggests if you're poor it's because you didn't work hard enough and if you committed a crime it's because you chose to. In Europe there is more likely to be an acknowledgement of societies influence on crime (poverty, opportunity, addiction). This may not be at the lawmaking level, but I feel it changes the expectations of the community and therefore applies pressure to the lawmakers".
Something I've always wondered.
It's doesn't seem to be deterring crime, because EU seems to have lower crime rates, although lax punishments.
So, why?

Your first mistake is assuming the UK has less crime.
The most violent country in Europe Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S. Daily Mail Online

Do a little research before making unfounded accusations.

US has about 11.8 million crimes a year. The UK has about 6.5 million a year. The US now has 313 million people and the UK has 62.6 million people.
You are right. Statistics prove it enough but the discussion is about the length of sentences here.
they are unreasonably long in the USA. Don't you agree?

That would depend on the crime.
With minor possession charges I might agree.
But as far as I'm concerned most sentences are to short.
A bitch that worked for my wife embezzled just short of a half million bucks and will be out of club fed in less than three years.
Do you call that justice? I sure dont.
You have people who commit armed robbery and get out of prison in a couple of years..bullshit! They should do twenty at the very least.
So no,I dont think we have overly long prison sentences.
I think the UK is too soft on crime.

 

[HappyJoy]

"America has a strong tradition of 'personal responsibility', the kind of mentality that suggests if you're poor it's because you didn't work hard enough and if you committed a crime it's because you chose to. In Europe there is more likely to be an acknowledgement of societies influence on crime (poverty, opportunity, addiction). This may not be at the lawmaking level, but I feel it changes the expectations of the community and therefore applies pressure to the lawmakers".
Something I've always wondered.
It's doesn't seem to be deterring crime, because EU seems to have lower crime rates, although lax punishments.
So, why?

Your first mistake is assuming the UK has less crime.
The most violent country in Europe Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S. Daily Mail Online

Do a little research before making unfounded accusations.

US has about 11.8 million crimes a year. The UK has about 6.5 million a year. The US now has 313 million people and the UK has 62.6 million people.
You are right. Statistics prove it enough but the discussion is about the length of sentences here.
they are unreasonably long in the USA. Don't you agree?

What is that from, Nationmaster? From 2002? Incomplete source.

 

[SwimExpert]

"America has a strong tradition of 'personal responsibility', the kind of mentality that suggests if you're poor it's because you didn't work hard enough and if you committed a crime it's because you chose to. In Europe there is more likely to be an acknowledgement of societies influence on crime (poverty, opportunity, addiction). This may not be at the lawmaking level, but I feel it changes the expectations of the community and therefore applies pressure to the lawmakers".
Something I've always wondered.
It's doesn't seem to be deterring crime, because EU seems to have lower crime rates, although lax punishments.
So, why?

Because the American concept of justice is archaic. In the US, justice primarily remains a concept of vengeance and punishment, and deterrence by misery. If you can't force someone to do what you want, punish them. If that doesn't stop people, punish them more. If that still doesn't stop people, increase the punishment even more. Make it longer and more severe. Too many Americans nowadays don't have the will to build society, they just want to tear down the parts they don't like. It's a horribly misguided approach to life.

There are some pockets in the US where things are starting to change. Some states have been experimenting with changes to drug sentencing that focuses more on rehabilitation and addiction treatment. A few areas have begun incentive programs in prisons that implement positive reinforcement and reward good behavior with perks, instead of simply punishing undesirable behavior. Some places have greatly expanded education and training programs in corrections facilities to reduce recidivism. Overall, these kinds of programs have the common thread of treating criminals as human beings and treating criminal behavior as a social problem to be addressed in a developmental sense. Instead of trying the long failed approach of tearing down the criminal in hopes that he'll somehow submit to non criminal behavior, they attempt to build up the criminal to provide more fulfilling life options than criminal behavior. Overall, these programs have seen very good results. Imagine that...