Oregon Department of Corrections

He's got a lot of company.

Featured Topic | Posted 2 years 26 weeks ago

One of every 100 Americans is in prison

For the first time in history, more than one in every 100 American adults is in jail or prison, according to a report released Thursday. the 50 states spent more than $49 billion on corrections last year, up from less than $11 billion 20 years earlier. The rate of increase for prison costs was six times greater than for higher education spending, the report said.

Why are so many Americans in prison? What can be done about it?

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Ben likes: The prison buildup decreased crime

David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D./Heritage Foundation

Professor William Spelman of the University of Texas at Austin estimates that the drop in crime during the 1990s would have been 27 to 34 percent smaller without the prison buildup. In another study, Professor Spelman analyzed the impact of incarceration in Texas counties from 1990 to 2000. The most significant factor responsible for the drop in crime in Texas was the state's prison expansion.

And now the prison buildup may be partially responsible for the recent increase in crime. Just as putting criminals behind bars decreases crime, releasing criminals back into society increases crime.

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Joel likes:Barred from society

Kate Sheppard/The American Prospect

But far more shocking in that report were the stats on racial disparities in our prison system. The study, conducted by the Pew Center on the States, found that one in 15 black adults is in jail. Among young black men between the ages of 20 and 34, the number in prison reaches a rate of one in nine. This dovetails interestingly with another report released this week by the Eisenhower Foundation, which found that black Americans are still significantly disadvantaged in terms of income, education and other measures of well-being.

States spend an average of $23,876 a year to keep someone in jail, and not much of which is used to curb recidivism rates. Wouldn't that money be better spent on programs that address these continuing societal disparities and give young black men and women better opportunities?

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