Why do American's have more of their citizens per capita than any other nation in prison?

Question

Just a fact, the United States holds only 5% of the worlds population, yet it holds 22% of it's prisoners. 1 out of every 75 men are in jail currently. Not to mention, the rate of US citizens imprisoned rises dramatically. We have the most prisoners per capita amongst industrialized nations, with Cuba and Iran.

The War on Drugs is largely to blame on these people being imprisoned.

Don't you find it strange that our nation that was founded on freedom can now dictate what you can do with your own body? and even go so far to imprison you if you disagree?

Answer 1

you're exactly right with the war on drugs... nearly 75% our prisoners are NON-violent drug offenders that are only guilty of getting high... all the states that have 3 strikes laws make it so that a person who gets caught addicted to drugs 3 times goes to jail for life, yet a rapist or child molester can be set free after a while.  

Answer 2

Well yeah anyone else would just kill them you see unlike a lot of other countries we specifically state in our constitution that we do not allow cruel and unusual punishment.

I think it was in some African country just recently that they executed a man by sticking a pole thought his body... vertically...

Plus next to Canada we are the only 1st world nation in the continent so we attract all the criminals and drug dealers from 3rd world countries in the same continent.

Answer 3

gangsta thugs who want to make a living selling drugs.

it is all about drugs and the loss of good blue collar jobs. most all those too proud to flip burgers turn to crime.

obama has stated the imprisoning of these young men is, itself, a crime and that means he will work to get them released. so vote for obama if you want to empty the prisons. plain and simple.

Answer 4

Because you can buy stock in prisons. The more people in prison, the more your stock is worth. The more money you make. Keeping America's prisons nice and full has made a few people very rich.

Answer 5

Hi Liberty.  Good question.  Obviously, I don't have an answer anymore than anyone else, because it's a complex question.  But like everyone I have opinions.  

I think the underlying question is why there are hundreds of thousands of criminals behind bars in the USA.  It the United States a nation inherent with traits of violence, which stems from their own history?  A nation built on, basically war, i.e. 1776 Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War?  Is it, as stated in the USA's constitution the "right to bear arms", which in essence opens up a can of worms to those individuals in society who feel it is their "God given right" to therefore act in violent ways to protect their own interests?  

A pretty complicated question.  I'd love to know the answer.  Good stats too.  My post wasn't mean to offend, just question and open up discussion.  

An addendum: I do agree clearly with None.  The USA is the only western democracy still with a capital punishment system, and yes, I agree that the government of the USA is way to cozy to religion and the hostilities, it itself, preaches.

Answer 6

It's possibly because we're the richest nation and the love of money is the root of all evil.  Also, I think you hit the nail on the head with the drug thing.  We focus primarily on dealers and forget about the abusers.  While I understand that addiction is a disease, it seems like users' families, friends, co-workers, and children suffer incomprehensibly whilst the users enjoy chemical induced sensations that responsible humans deny themselves of.

If we could repeal the 4th Amendment for users as well as dealers, we could overwhelm those individuals with enough suffering and humiliation (which still would not exceed what their friends and family are put through) that it would never be worth it for them to use drugs.  Get rid of the drug users and you get rid of petty theft, whoring, diseases spread by sharing needles, worthless people getting off on crimes because their mind was in an impaired state, and all sorts of other vile dirty things.

Answer 7

Your husband is an idiot.  Few modernized nations have capital punishment.

We have the most prisoners because we are among the most repressed.  There is too much religion in our government, and it impacts our laws.

Answer 8

The War on Drugs.

We preach freedom, but also want to keep our society clean and tidy. We're scared to let people out of prison since we don't try to rehabilitate them in the first place.

Answer 9

I think your husband is right.

Take a look at Mexico and Columbia and perhaps a good part of South America where drug kings control the streets and the cops are corrupt.  It would appear to me that the citizens are repressed there not because of the police but rather because of the thugs.

We should tighten up our prisons and eliminate many of the so called individual rights.  Feed the prisoners no more than 1500 calories per day.  Eliminate television, weight rooms, and internet access.  Charge prisoners for their stay and make them earn their keep.

Answer 10

i agree with your husband butwould like to add that some governments are lead by corrupt leaders that are part of crime rings

Answer 11

It's a business.  A big business.

People are making profits from free labor and the prison industrial complex.

You need to put people in those prisons to continue to make money.

Answer 12

Maybe because we have such a good justice systems. We can actually catch these guys and put them away.

In other countries the criminals still walk the streets because the police are too underfunded or corrupt to catch them.

Answer 13

WAR ON DRUGS

Answer 14

This is a free country, we have freely decided to have lots of harsh, intrusive laws and huge prisons.  All the good jobs are gone to Indonesia now so the only good jobs left are as cops, prosecutors, judges, and prison guards.  It worked for the USSR.  Well, for a while, anyway.  

Answer 15

Well look at the two countries with higher populations than the US:  China and India.

I don't know about India's judicial system but I know that China executes more prisoners (including political prisoners) than anyone else in the world.