Man, we really are exceptional
by digby
Via Matt Ford in The Atlantic:
How large is America’s prison problem? More than 2.4 million people are behind bars in the United States today, either awaiting trial or serving a sentence. That’s more than the combined population of 15 states, all but three U.S. cities, and the U.S. armed forces. They’re scattered throughout a constellation of 102 federal prisons, 1,719 state prisons, 2,259 juvenile facilities, 3,283 local jails, and many more military, immigration, territorial, and Indian Country facilities.
Compared to the rest of the world, these numbers are staggering. Here’s how the United States’ incarceration rate stacks up against those of other modern liberal democracies like Britain and Canada:
How is this explained by people defending America as the land of the free? It would seem to be a rather obvious contradiction in terms.
The good news is that prison reform seems to be floating up on the agenda of both parties. I’m not quite sure why — traditionally, nobody has cared much about the issue. But maybe some advocacy groups are making some strides in the beltway and polling is showing that it isn’t the loser these politicians have always believed. (I wish I thought it came from a spontaneous attack of conscience among our leaders, but I think that’s a long shot.)Whatever it is, it would be nice if it actually added up to something. That chart is absolutely shameful. Even setting aside the issues of justice, morality and decency, the cost of this prison state (especially combined with our outlandish global military empire) is obviously unsustainable.
Frontline recently did a comprehensive program on our prison system. Oy.
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