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Why do we as a country have the absolute highest incarceration rate in the world? And conversely, we also still have the highest crime rates in the world. One would think that by incarcerating such a huge percentage of our citizens we should be able to have a very low crime rate; but this is not so...
Why do you think we have such an incredibly high incarceration rate? Is it the Prison-Industrial-Complex, and a corrupt hidden agenda behind the scenes? Or is it something else completely?
Obviously something is not working. Incarceration is very expensive for us as a nation, and if it not working, we need to ask ourselves why we continue using the same methods and expecting different results.
I don't think there is a hidden agenda behind the scenes. It is a break down in the social fabric of America and it is only going to get worse. When we have so called celebrities getting famous for making and OOPS releasing a sex tape we are going down the toilet. No one cares about anything but themselves anymore. It is a get rich now get high now attitude. Gone are the days when people would work towards a goal, everyone wants it now and if they don't get it then they will steal it. The media doesn't help by highlighting the acts of criminals. How about movies where drunken or drugged antics are turned into comedy. It used to be those people were shunned.
America needs ot get back to America. Think about it most of the criminals locked up are in there for drug related offenses. Most of the drugs coem across the mexican border. The answer is Seal the border but no our Gov. wants to give ammnesty to millions of Illegal aliens. Our Gov. gave thousands of guns to drug cartels in mexico and those guns have been used to terrorise and murder which allows the drugs to keep coming in.
I hate to say it but it is a race issue as well. Why are so many prisoners black or hispanic? We have all seen it where "they" move into a city or town and it goes to heck with trash, grafitti, and crime of all kinds. Why and what will stop it? It is pretty sad that with all that the African American community has put up with since they were slaves through the 1960's and today where one of their own is President that they can't seem to lift themselves out of the life that leads to crime and arrest. They need to pull their pants up and get on with making a better life for themselves instead of making illegitimate babies.
This sounds pretty harsh but I believe that the break down in society in general, that means white, black and everyone in between has caused the prisons population to swell. We need a goal, we need a leader that will do more than talk. We need ot get tough on crime. We don't need to have a death row inmate sitting there for decades. You kill someone, confess and the evidence is beyond the shadow of a doubt then dispose of the guy. Why is that clown that shot up the cinema still alive? How about the surviving marathon bomber? These guys will cost the taxpayers millions before they are found guilty and sent to rot in jail for the next 50-60 years. Dispose of them now and save us the grief.
Above all people need HOPE and I don't know how they are going to get it.
Prison sentences in the U.S. are 2-3 times higher than in Europe, and yet, how safe do you feel when traveling in Europe as a result of their lower sentences? Good question!!!
It's been said for some time now, prisons are going to be one of the major factors in contributing to the bankruptcy of this country one day.
One of the big chuckles of all, is calling our prisons correctional institutions. You'd think, with our spending $40-50k a year (both direct and indirect costs) to imprison someone they'd be leaving these institutions corrected. So until I see those results, they will always be prisons to me!
As long as a country has money to squander, squandering will be the results!
It's been stated that you could release 1/3 of our prisoners today and not undermine the safety of our society, but the powerful prison guard unions will hear nothing of it! Any time you create any bureaucracy a bureaucracy is created to defend itself and grow, not shrink!
It all seems so hopeless, that I'm finally turning to a different kind of hope to have the U.S. rejoin Planet Earth: bankruptcy of the country! Then? We start all over!!!
Or the bankruptcy of an individual state. Way back in the early 80's when Texas was in dire straits, they had no choice but release thousands of prisoners!
Louisiana alone has an incarceration rate higher than any other country in the world, including the U.S. Greedy politicians who are compensated by rich prison owners and guards with votes and campaign donations. Serve 15 years in a concrete box with no help and they expect you to go out and live life like nothing happened. This country is getting stupider by the day.
It is just like the healthcare "industry" in that without it, what would happen to our economy? If we "cure" the victims of these two industries, where will the jobs, building contracts, supply contracts, etc. etc. etc., come from? Think seriously about this. It is necessary to remove certain individuals from society since they are a danger to themselves and/or others and they belong in a secure environment unless some treatment/medication can make them safe. It is an industry. Imagine the money we could save if we went back to hanging those guilty without a shadow of a doubt and these are the ones that need to be dealt with allowing the others to make restitution for their crimes with a probationary period and supervision. How on earth could locking someone away, often with people who have more severe issues, make them into a better citizen. Time-out? Never thought that worked for kids either.
America's elected legislators try to please their voters as much as possible (more then in other countries). One excellent way is by criminalizing everything. If someone has an unfortunate event that is widely publicized by the media, our elected officials will immediately propose a bill to criminalize that act. Even if its a very rare event. We have more regulations and laws (local and federal) then anywhere.
Budgets at all levels are scrutinized but those who propose bills never have to answer how much their bill costs. And its not correction facilities only. It included judges, lawyers and a huge LE personnel. NYC for example has more LE then the entire FBI ! . Also judges that are to be elected try to show that they are tough on a, b, c...
Bottom line: if we further take this way someone will need to pay and even higher taxes will not suffice.
The OP's premise is totally off. We do not have the highest crime rates in the world. Not even close, so your original post is off already.
Part of the problem is also that our jails and prisons are too nice. If people feared going to prison and they made it worse, then my guess is far fewer people would take the risk of committing crimes. Watch anything on cable about other prisons, especially those in Russia, and you'll see what I mean. We then might not have to make the sentences so long in some cases.
The OP's premise is totally off. We do not have the highest crime rates in the world. Not even close, so your original post is off already.
Still, the number of incarcerated people in US is greater then China (with 4 times the population) and India (with 3 times as many people). More then Russia as well. These are facts!
Another fact is that jail time in US is several times longer (for similar crimes) then in Western Europe. Constantly increased punishments aren't deterring criminals (or so called criminals) as people think. I only judge it from a practical (non moral) aspect. The economic weigh of this approach is pulling down many states.
Why do we as a country have the absolute highest incarceration rate in the world? And conversely, we also still have the highest crime rates in the world. One would think that by incarcerating such a huge percentage of our citizens we should be able to have a very low crime rate; but this is not so...
Why do you think we have such an incredibly high incarceration rate? Is it the Prison-Industrial-Complex, and a corrupt hidden agenda behind the scenes? Or is it something else completely?
Obviously something is not working. Incarceration is very expensive for us as a nation, and if it not working, we need to ask ourselves why we continue using the same methods and expecting different results.
Simply the trappings of a rich, free society. If the USSR had this much freedom, they would be locking them up wholesale as well. The last time I checked, this prison machine you mention doesn't drive around in sport utilities rounding people up?
No, people put themselves there? Don't want to spend time in the jungle, don't commit crimes? Just spitballing here but, the innocent tend to not dwell nor live there. It's not perfect but, if you rob banks, kill people and spend a life creating general malfeasance to all around you, maybe you NEED to go to prison and spend a lot of time getting to know your peers?
I found out long ago that prison didn't look, sound, or smell like a place I would like to call home so I lived my boring life accordingly. The only victims i see in this scenario are the victims of crimes and the taxpayers who have to foot the bill and be forced to listen as to why we should care when said criminal gets locked up?
A true crime....sigh....
When will someone do an article on those that had to endure the crime and call to account, a
the criminal industrial complex. Now THAT would be a story....huh?
Why don't we keep our eyes on the ball and figure out how to incarcerate the guilty more cheaply.
A worthy endeavor.....
Why don't we focus on the victim and what they did right versus spending time on why bingo and zippy went wrong? Leave that for A&E and other venues. They do a good job and even have video. Cool.
I for one am more interested in the victim(s), why it takes so long to execute some, why some get out so early, and what are we doing to keep them there?
Why do we as a country have the absolute highest incarceration rate in the world? And conversely, we also still have the highest crime rates in the world. One would think that by incarcerating such a huge percentage of our citizens we should be able to have a very low crime rate; but this is not so...
Why do you think we have such an incredibly high incarceration rate? Is it the Prison-Industrial-Complex, and a corrupt hidden agenda behind the scenes? Or is it something else completely?
Obviously something is not working. Incarceration is very expensive for us as a nation, and if it not working, we need to ask ourselves why we continue using the same methods and expecting different results.
I agree that there is an embarrassingly high rate of incarceration in the United States. I don't think that there is a conspiracy per se, but I do think that huge prisons create jobs. The move towards the privatization of prisons is a very disturbing one.
The US culture is a punitive one, rooted in the harsh brand of Christianity practiced by the puritans.
Many Americans are never more happy than when someone is being punished.
I think that prison should not be used as punishment for non violent crimes. Since I do not believe in prison for non violent crimes, and I support the decriminalization of marijuana and other substances; as well as the regulation of victimless crimes, our prisons would, by some estimations, be half as full as they are now.
If marijuana for example were to be legalized, it could be taxed and revenue could be used for education or to rebuild our aging infrastructure. Just two ideas.
There are those who do benefit from having a large segment of our population labeled as convicted felons and thus, unable to vote.
Wealthy people are able to afford top attorneys and to avoid felony convictions. The poor frequently are forced to use inexperienced public defenders.
There is so much inequality in our criminal justice system.
I am absolutely not in favor of long prison terns - except in for the protection of society from violent sociopathic individuals.
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