Report: 1 of Every 75 U.S. Men in Prison

[burrowowl]

Russia's prison population, which once rivaled the United States', has dropped to 584 per 100,000 because of prisoner amnesties in recent years, the group said.

The U.S. inmate population in 2003 grew at its fastest pace in four years. The number of inmates increased 1.8 percent in state prisons, 7.1 percent in federal prisons and 3.9 percent in local jails.

In 2003, 68 percent of prison and jail inmates were members of racial or ethnic minorities, the government said. An estimated 12 percent of all black men in their 20s were in jails or prisons, as were 3.7 percent of Hispanic men and 1.6 percent of white men in that age group, according to the report.

The report also said:

* The number of women in state and federal prisons grew by 5 percent, compared to a 2.7 percent increase for men. Still, men greatly outnumber women: 1.36 million to 100,102.
* Local jails held 691,301 inmates.
* The inmate population in 10 states increased at least 5 percent. Some of the smallest state prison systems saw the largest increase: Vermont's grew by 12.2 percent, Minnesota was up 9.4 percent and Maine 9.1 percent.
* Only nine states logged a decrease in prison population, led by Rhode Island with a 3.4 percent drop; Arkansas, 2.2 percent; and Montana, 2.1 percent.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0528-02.htm

More than Russia, Mexico, England/Wales, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Japan .....
The hidden unemployed factor and why prisons are a big business in the U$.
Pretty damn amazing!

[indigo32]

1. We are doing something VERY wrong if thats the case

[burrowowl]

3. Yes, something is very wrong

The U.S. inmate population in 2003 grew at its fastest pace in four years. The number of inmates increased 1.8 percent in state prisons, 7.1 percent in federal prisons and 3.9 percent in local jails.

Increase of 7.1% Fed: who, why?
And what about privatized prisons?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Half of the two million people in US prisons are African American

Racism, Prisons, and the Future of Black America


There are today over two million Americans incarcerated in federal and state prisons and local jails throughout the United States. More than one-half, or one million, are black men and women. The devastating human costs of the mass incarceration of one out of every 35 individuals within black America are beyond imagination. While civil rights organizations like the NAACP and black institutions such as churches and mosques have begun to address this widespread crisis of black mass imprisonment, they have frankly not given it the centrality and importance it deserves.

snip
In 1974, the number of Americans incarcerated in all state prisons stood at 187,500. By 1991, the number had reached 711,700. Nearly two-thirds of all state prisoners in 1991 had less than a high school education. One third of all prisoners were unemployed at the time of their arrests. Incarceration rates by the end of the 1980s had soared to unprecedented rates, especially for black Americans. As of December 1989, the total US prison population, including federal institutions, exceeded one million for the first time in history, an incarceration rate of the general population of one out of every 250 citizens.

For African Americans, the rate was over 700 per 100,000, or about seven times more than for whites. About one half of all prisoners were black. Twenty-three percent of all black males in their twenties were either in jail or prison, on parole, probation, or awaiting trial. The rate of incarceration of black Americans in 1989 had even surpassed that experienced by blacks who still lived under the apartheid regime of South Africa.

snip

The pattern of racial bias in these statistics is confirmed by the research of the US Commission on Civil Rights, which found that while African Americans today constitute only 14% of all drug users nationally, they are 35% of all drug arrests, 55% of all drug convictions, and 75% of all prison admissions for drug offenses. Currently, the racial proportions of those under some type of correctional supervision, including parole and probation, are one-in-fifteen for young white males, one-in-ten for young Latino males, and one-in-three for young African-American males. Statistically today, more than eight out of every ten African-American males will be arrested at some point in their lifetime.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=19864&forum=DCForumID60&archive=

[gator_in_Ontario]

6. Richard Pryor summed it up nicely

"when you look for justice you find 'Just Us'"

[MrSlayer]

4. Thank the idiotic drug policy in this country.

We create our own criminals.

[stellanoir]

5. Truly. . .

those found guilty of non-violent, victimless crimes should be fined up the wah-zoo and forced to do excessive community service, The fines should fund the prisons (wherein every inmate costs the taxpayers anywhere from $30,000-60,000 per anum) and the community service should be applied directly to juveniles who are guilty of similar crimes.

Yes, I'm delusional. I once met a former junky from Denmark who got caught and was forced to work with detoxing teenage adicts in rural areas. That just made so much sense to me. He got better and helped numerous kids.

But NOOOOOOOOO. It can't happen here with blatant criminals in charge who have no compassion and project their shadows on people of colors other than their own.

Our criminal "justice" system is just so irretrievably broken.

Every time I hear "we'll bring the terrorists to justice," I can't help but wonder what the heck they're talking about.. . .?

These draconian measures only create more hardened and embittered criminals.

[TheWebHead]

7. gotta make those earnings #s

:puke:

[w4rma]

8. Prisons/Security: growth industries.

Science/Technology...