6.9 million currently in the criminal justice system.

[Fausto]

This is impressive in a depressing kinda way.

WASHINGTON - A record 6.9 million adults were incarcerated or on probation or parole last year, nearly 131,000 more than in 2002, according to a Justice Department study.

Put another way, about 3.2 percent of the adult U.S. population, or 1 in 32 adults, were incarcerated or on probation or parole at the end of last year.

....and the punchline...

45% of State parole discharges in 2002 successfully completed their term of supervision, relatively unchanged since 1995. 41% were returned to jail or prison, and 9% absconded.

 

[gigapet]

thats it??? We can do better than that!

Our goal should be 20 million prisoners.

 

[preslove]

I like this article a little better. It gives the number people actually incarcerated: 2,078,570, a steady increase. The last time I looked at the statistics, America had 1/4 of the world's prison population. Sort of shows you how untrue "land of the free" is.

 

[Syringer]

We can easily solve this problem by legalizing everything.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: preslove
I like this article a little better. It gives the number people actually incarcerated: 2,078,570, a steady increase. The last time I looked at the statistics, America had 1/4 of the world's prison population. Sort of shows you how untrue "land of the free" is.

Well, I think most people are relatively aware of existing laws and when they may or may not be breaking them. No justice system is perfect, but this isn't Orwell's 1984 either.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: Fausto
This is impressive in a depressing kinda way.

WASHINGTON - A record 6.9 million adults were incarcerated or on probation or parole last year, nearly 131,000 more than in 2002, according to a Justice Department study.

Put another way, about 3.2 percent of the adult U.S. population, or 1 in 32 adults, were incarcerated or on probation or parole at the end of last year.

....and the punchline...

45% of State parole discharges in 2002 successfully completed their term of supervision, relatively unchanged since 1995. 41% were returned to jail or prison, and 9% absconded.

I think society is playing a game of chicken with the criminal justice system. There's not many people who wouldn't admit that it's broke, at least on some level. Eventually we'll crash and reform it, but it won't happen any time soon, so far as I can see.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: Syringer
We can easily solve this problem by legalizing everything.

Rape?
Murder?
Spider armies of the night?

 

[CrazyHelloDeli]

This just goes to show you that the only hope the Human race has is voting me, Lord HelloDeli, Supreme Ruler of Planet Earth.

 

[preslove]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: preslove
I like this article a little better. It gives the number people actually incarcerated: 2,078,570, a steady increase. The last time I looked at the statistics, America had 1/4 of the world's prison population. Sort of shows you how untrue "land of the free" is.

Well, I think most people are relatively aware of existing laws and when they may or may not be breaking them. No justice system is perfect, but this isn't Orwell's 1984 either.

No system is perfect, but no Western justice system is as crappy as ours. It's mostly mandatory minimums that are responsible for it. If you get caught with a pound of weed you can go to jail for years (depending on the state). My taxes then go to your incarceration instead of the education system. There is no excuse for jailing more people than China or Russia.

 

[SoylentGreen]

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: Syringer
We can easily solve this problem by legalizing everything.

Rape?
Murder?
Spider armies of the night?

I'm really sure that's exactly what he means jackass.

 

[gigapet]

Originally posted by: preslove

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: preslove

There is no excuse for jailing more people than China or Russia.

Sure there is.....I'll name a couple
-Slave labor
-multi-Billion Dollar Industry

 

[So]

Originally posted by: SoylentGreen

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: Syringer
We can easily solve this problem by legalizing everything.

Rape?
Murder?
Spider armies of the night?

I'm really sure that's exactly what he means jackass.

Now children, there's no need for name calling. I think it's failry clear that I was being facetious from the last line of my post.

:roll:

 

[preslove]

Originally posted by: gigapet

Originally posted by: preslove

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: preslove

There is no excuse for jailing more people than China or Russia.

Sure there is.....I'll name a couple
-Slave labor
-multi-Billion Dollar Industry

I don't buy the whole prison industrial complex theory (and neither do most of the anti-prison activists I respect). The prison systems of many states want to open up their facilities to private business, but only a relatively few go for it because many different factors, such as lock downs, safety issues, employees sent to sollitary. It has more to do with a general fear of crime that has lead to anti-crime demagoguery. People are too scared to realize that sending a ecstasy dealer away for 10 years means you are going to ruin the life of someone's child, and waste $500,000 to a million dollars feeding and caging them (it costs between 50 and 100 grand to jail someone, per year, depending on the facility and state).

 

[NFS4]

Fletcher Reede: "STOP BREAKING THE LAW, ASSHOLE"

 

[blahblah99]

Originally posted by: Syringer
We can easily solve this problem by legalizing everything.

Or reforming the government and policies.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: preslove

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: preslove
I like this article a little better. It gives the number people actually incarcerated: 2,078,570, a steady increase. The last time I looked at the statistics, America had 1/4 of the world's prison population. Sort of shows you how untrue "land of the free" is.

Well, I think most people are relatively aware of existing laws and when they may or may not be breaking them. No justice system is perfect, but this isn't Orwell's 1984 either.

No system is perfect, but no Western justice system is as crappy as ours. It's mostly mandatory minimums that are responsible for it. If you get caught with a pound of weed you can go to jail for years (depending on the state). My taxes then go to your incarceration instead of the education system. There is no excuse for jailing more people than China or Russia.

Well, if they would legalize weed, they wouldn't find citizens walking around with a pound of weed on them. Unless of course, someone searches me on my way out of Kroger's produce section.

 

[Liviathan]

Just make sure you are not one them.

 

Originally posted by: gigapet
thats it??? We can do better than that!

Our goal should be 20 million prisoners.

What's great is that no one takes your trolling seriously anymore.
You over did it, and ruined it for yoruself.

Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

 

[DWW]

If you break the law then you go to jail.

 

[User1001]

Another impressive/depressing statistic: There are on average 2.7 murders a day in chicago.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: User1001
Another impressive/depressing statistic: There are on average 2.7 murders a day in chicago.

Yeh, but Peoria leads the state in per capita murders.

 

[Eli]

I wonder what percentage are for non-violent "crimes against thyself" such as drug use.

:frown:

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Eli
I wonder what percentage are for non-violent "crimes against thyself" such as drug use.

:frown:

I'm surprised a response like this took so long.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: gigapet
thats it??? We can do better than that!

Our goal should be 20 million prisoners.

I'll see what I can do.

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: User1001
Another impressive/depressing statistic: There are on average 2.7 murders a day in chicago.

Holy sh!t, really? Up here in Edmonton which is no pinnacle of Canadian safety there is an average of 0.049 murders a day. 900,000 people here...

Anyway, more on topic, has anyone looked at American prison guard pay? Its horrendous! The only one specifically I remember is an experienced guard in Arkansas averages 14,000$ a year. While that is Arkansas, its still terrible throughout the US.