Facts about the America prison system.

[LordDarwin]

1% of American adults are in jail (2.3 million people)
No society in history has imprisoned more of its citizens than the United States of America.
1 in 30 men aged 20-34 is behind bars, but for black males that's 1 in 9.
There are more 17 year old black men in jail than there are in collage.
5% of the worlds population is American, yet 25% of the world prison population is American.



Just found these interesting as I saw them on an episode of the BCC's QI and thought I'd post 'em up.


So, why has the America justice depatment got this love affair with sending people to prison, and what needs to be changed about the system?

[mehdi84]

Because they are protecting me from others. Out of sight. Out of mind.


Our justice system is nothing to be proud of and requires immediate reform. Unfortunately we have more 'important' things to deal with right now, such as bailing our friends out of their problems.

[Dummkopf]

War on drugs, plus lots of retards

[JB05]

Most of it's due to drugs. Drug laws should be reformed, we should consider legalization and focus more on rehabilitation and cutting demand for drugs. Harsher sentences for dealers + decriminalization/treatment for users FTW.

The US also has huge violent crime problems due largely to gangs - which are fueled by drugs.

As far as the racial part goes, I think it's more about poverty than race. Poor people are more likely to get into gangs/drugs and thus more at risk to commit serious crimes.

[GrokTheCube]

Yep. Most Americans who have never been to Europe don't realize what a police state we actually live in relative to the rest of the Western World.

[neonhypoxia]

There are more 17 year old black men in jail than there are in collage.

No sh*t. Very few american's go to college prior to the age of 18. Are you sure that wasn't a mistype? Because I'm hoping it was.

[LordDarwin]

Yep. Most Americans who have never been to Europe don't realize what a police state we actually live in relative to the rest of the Western World.

It's also a brilliant source of slave labour, America's really reinvented the slave trade with it's prison systems.

100% of all military ammunition belts, helmets, bullet proof vests, ID Tags and other items in uniform. 93% of domestically produced paints, 36% of home appliances and 21% of office furniture is produced using prison labour, which allows the United States to compete with factories in Mexico.

Ironically you're not allowed to bring in items that have been made using slave labour into America...

No sh*t. Very few american's go to college prior to the age of 18. Are you sure that wasn't a mistype? Because I'm hoping it was.

No mistype, I too was shocked.

[neonhypoxia]

As far as the racial part goes, I think it's more about poverty than race. Poor people are more likely to get into gangs/drugs and thus more at risk to commit serious crimes.

For the same SES bracket its still a much higher violent crime rate for blacks. So no, poverty is not the only factor there. It is one factor, but it by far is not the only one.

[JB05]

It's also a brilliant source of slave labour, America's really reinvented the slave trade with it's prison systems.

100% of all military ammunition belts, helmets, bullet proof vests, ID Tags and other items in uniform. 93% of domestically produced paints, 36% of home appliances and 21% of office furniture which allows the United States to compete with factories in Mexico.

Really??

I thought convict labor was pretty much extremely frowned upon. Every now and then you'll see some prisoners cleaning up a highway or something but thats about it.

I think most prisons give the guys TV, cards, weights etc to keep them calm and help them pass the time.

But if work like that helps defray the prison's costs, gives the convicts something to do and teaches them some good work skills, whats bad about that? It's not like the prisons are rolling in cash from those guys.

[Navyboy909]

Prison system is a joke and so are our laws. If i was in charge, I would put a bullet in every drug dealer, gangbanger, ****phile, thug, etc. head. **** democracy

[JB05]

For the same SES bracket its still a much higher violent crime rate for blacks. So no, poverty is not the only factor there. It is one factor, but it by far is not the only one.

I would say gang culture plays a big role too, but I don't want to veer this thread off topic..

[LordDarwin]

Prison system is a joke and so are our laws. If i was in charge, I would put a bullet in every drug dealer, gangbanger, ****phile, thug, etc. head. **** democracy

I think that kind of attitude is the problem in the first case with American society and therefore the prison systems and crime rates/what "is" a crime.

[iGotBigOnes]

Which is largely the result of conservative "get tough on crime" laws that further harm those who are socially/economically disadvantaged.

Another statistic: juveniles incarcerated with adults are five times more likely to report being victims of sexual assault than youth in juvenile facilities, and the suicide rate of juveniles in adult jails is 7.7 times higher than that of juvenile detention centers. (from wikipedia, too lazy to copy from original source)

[Dummkopf]

No mistype, I too was shocked.

Most of the black kids in my graduating class I knew went to jail before they graduated.

I think that kind of attitude is the problem in the first case with American society and therefore the prison systems and crime rates/what "is" a crime.

I'm pretty sure he just trolled you

[GrokTheCube]

For the same SES bracket its still a much higher violent crime rate for blacks. So no, poverty is not the only factor there. It is one factor, but it by far is not the only one.

Agreed. There is also a much higher incarceration right for the same crimes among blacks.

[LordDarwin]

I'm pretty sure he just trolled you

Fuk Poe and his law!

[JB05]

Which is largely the result of conservative "get tough on crime" laws that further harm those who are socially/economically disadvantaged.

If people commit violent crimes, they belong behind bars, period. This isn't a conservative/liberal thing. Most anybody will tell you that violent ciminals belong behind bars.

[neonhypoxia]

No mistype, I too was shocked.

Well in that case it doesn't say much. Very few kids here go to college before they are 18 so yeah... That says almost nothing.

[LordDarwin]

Well in that case it doesn't say much. Very few kids here go to college before they are 18 so yeah... That says almost nothing.

Hmm. In that case it isn't too shocking. Here in the UK you go to collage at 16 usually, I'd forgotten it's different in the US.

[cavymeister]

We should add more laws to fix this.

[/sarcasm]

[nutsy54]

It's also a brilliant source of slave labour, America's really reinvented the slave trade with it's prison systems.

100% of all military ammunition belts, helmets, bullet proof vests, ID Tags and other items in uniform. 93% of domestically produced paints, 36% of home appliances and 21% of office furniture is produced using prison labour, which allows the United States to compete with factories in Mexico.

Do you have any proof for those statements?

Because I know the purchase orders I signed for ballistic vests a few years ago came from a regular, commercial company - with nothing at all to do with "prison labor".

Any proof that Armor Express, noted below as the awardee of a Marine Corps contract, is staffed by 100% prison labor?
http://www.armorexpress.com/Information/news/fsbe.htm
Work has already begun on producing the first phase of the order, some 9,000
front and back ballistic panels, Davis noted. "Most of the work will be
handled by our existing staff, but we have added nine additional employees".

[ONtop888]

1% of American adults are in jail (2.3 million people)
No society in history has imprisoned more of its citizens than the United States of America.
1 in 30 men aged 20-34 is behind bars, but for black males that's 1 in 9.
There are more 17 year old black men in jail than there are in collage.
5% of the worlds population is American, yet 25% of the world prison population is American.



Just found these interesting as I saw them on an episode of the BCC's QI and thought I'd post 'em up.


So, why has the America justice depatment got this love affair with sending people to prison, and what needs to be changed about the system?

Interesting post LD-50 (It's a Mudvayne reference....if you're unaware).

A few things here:
The large percent of Americans in jail could easily be decreased by lessening the sentences, if not getting rid of, for non-violent crimes, such as possession of pot in small quantities.

Second, the disparity between black people and other races is directly due to socio-economic factors, and they need to be addressed in a straight-forward manner, and not banned by the PC police.

Third, this sentence didn't make sense (and not because 'college' was spelled as collage), "There are more 17 year old black men in jail than there are in collage." In America, most people graduate at 18 years old, so most 17 year olds wouldn't be in college. However, if the age was 18, then that would make sense.

Finally, what I think we need to do is focus on rehabilitating, instead of merely punishing, people who can be rehabilitated. For instance, drug users can be rehabilitated, thieves can be rehabilitated, ****philes can not be rehabilitated. The sentences and the protocols (job training, drug rehab, etc.) need to relfect this (i.e. ****s go to jail for life because....there is no rehabilitation, it's a sickness).

[JUSA]

1% of American adults are in jail (2.3 million people)
No society in history has imprisoned more of its citizens than the United States of America.
1 in 30 men aged 20-34 is behind bars, but for black males that's 1 in 9.
There are more 17 year old black men in jail than there are in collage.
5% of the worlds population is American, yet 25% of the world prison population is American.

Just found these interesting as I saw them on an episode of the BCC's QI and thought I'd post 'em up.

So, why has the America justice depatment got this love affair with sending people to prison, and what needs to be changed about the system?

The deal is this:

America walks the line more than other countries on the drug thing.

Other countries either A) make it legal. Nobody goes to jail or B) Kill them all.

We don't make it legal and we don't shoot them in the back of their skulls. We jail them. Nobody else really does this the same way we do. Now, while I think we should probably adopt option A - I'm also glad we don't have option B. Countries that shoot drug dealers in the back of the skull in dark rooms also tend to shoot non-drug dealers like that, too.

[LordDarwin]

Do you have any proof for those statements?

Because I know the purchase orders I signed for ballistic vests a few years ago came from a regular, commercial company - with nothing at all to do with "prison labor".

Any proof that Armor Express, noted below as the awardee of a Marine Corps contract, is staffed by 100% prison labor?
http://www.armorexpress.com/Information/news/fsbe.htm
Work has already begun on producing the first phase of the order, some 9,000
front and back ballistic panels, Davis noted. "Most of the work will be
handled by our existing staff, but we have added nine additional employees".

Well the source link is in the OP (QI approx. 20-22 min in), although there was no reference to the primary source I took it as legit since it is a BBC program that has its forte in facts which I'm incline to trust.

When you say "staffed by 100% prison labor" that's an obvious no, as I'm assuming prisoners wouldn't work in accounting, reception etc. But just making the products.

[iGotBigOnes]

If people commit violent crimes, they belong behind bars, period. This isn't a conservative/liberal thing. Most anybody will tell you that violent ciminals belong behind bars.

True, but violent crime convictions only make up a portion of the reason people are locked up. Conservative policies contribute to the overall picture of the large number of people incarcerated (ie. punishment vs rehabilitation, 3 strikes law, drug policies, etc).

[nutsy54]

When you say "staffed by 100% prison labor" that's an obvious no, as I'm assuming prisoners wouldn't work in accounting, reception etc. But just making the products.

And I'm saying they are "0%" prison labor, based on that press release, and other statements on their site... Same goes for almost every other (if not every) manufacturer of ballistic vests in this country.

[bodyonus]

1% of American adults are in jail (2.3 million people)
No society in history has imprisoned more of its citizens than the United States of America.
1 in 30 men aged 20-34 is behind bars, but for black males that's 1 in 9.
There are more 17 year old black men in jail than there are in collage.
5% of the worlds population is American, yet 25% of the world prison population is American.



Just found these interesting as I saw them on an episode of the BCC's QI and thought I'd post 'em up.


So, why has the America justice depatment got this love affair with sending people to prison, and what needs to be changed about the system?

It is a business plain and simple. For every convict, the state allows something like 30k/yr for each inmate, they never even come close to spending that on anyone of them.

[JB05]

True, but violent crime convictions only make up a portion of the reason people are locked up. Conservative policies contribute to the overall picture of the large number of people incarcerated (ie. punishment vs rehabilitation, 3 strikes law, drug policies, etc).

Agreed, I'm a conservative but from what I've read about in Portugal, there are a lot more practical ways to go about reducing drug use.

I can't say I agree with you on the 3 strikes laws though. If someone has committed a violent felony three times, they deserve to be locked up for a long time.

[free816]

ive been telling my 2 sons this from the time they hit kindergarten, its simple toe the line, get educated, or guess what? you and your boys, right now (as 9yr olds) your cell is being built right now, its there waiting for you. i get looked at like im crazy but that is the reality

[Large_Emu]

Just remember that christians have higher morals.......oh wait