Sunday, January 10, 2010
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Law & Econ Prof Blog: U.S. Prison Population
Law & Econ Prof Blog: U.S. Prison Population: ". Prison Population
Cooter and I have remarked, in the fifth edition of our text, on the fact that the U.S. prison population increased four-fold from 1980 to 2002 -- from 500,000 to 2 million. This is an extraordinarily interesting story in today's New York Times about this matter. See here.
The article begins with the observation that although the U.S. has only 5 percent of the world's population, it has 25 percent of the world's incarcerated population. By comparison, China, the most populous nation, has only 1.6 million prisoners. At the other end of the spectrum, San Marino, with a population of 30,000, has 1 prisoner.
The U.S. prison population works out to be 751 prisoners per 100,000 population. Counting only adults, 1 in 100 U.S. citizens is in prison. Among the developed countries, only Russia has remotely similar figures, incarcerating 627 for every 100,000 population. England is 151; Germany, 88; and Japan, 63. The median figure for all nations is 125.
Interestingly, the U.S. reliance on incarceration is relatively recent. From 1925 to 1975 the U.S. incarcerated 110 people per 100,000 population.
Why are the imprisonment figures so high in the U.S.? The article speculates that it has to do with our higher violent crime rates. But that sounds unlikely. Yes, we do have more violent crime than most other developed countries, but that form of crime has been declining for almost 20 years. The article also notes that we tend to incarcerate people for longer periods for the same crime than do other countries. But that too sounds as if it is not likely to be the central explanation. We simply seem to be quicker to put people in prison than do other countries. And I'm not entirely sure what factors would help to explain t"
Cooter and I have remarked, in the fifth edition of our text, on the fact that the U.S. prison population increased four-fold from 1980 to 2002 -- from 500,000 to 2 million. This is an extraordinarily interesting story in today's New York Times about this matter. See here.
The article begins with the observation that although the U.S. has only 5 percent of the world's population, it has 25 percent of the world's incarcerated population. By comparison, China, the most populous nation, has only 1.6 million prisoners. At the other end of the spectrum, San Marino, with a population of 30,000, has 1 prisoner.
The U.S. prison population works out to be 751 prisoners per 100,000 population. Counting only adults, 1 in 100 U.S. citizens is in prison. Among the developed countries, only Russia has remotely similar figures, incarcerating 627 for every 100,000 population. England is 151; Germany, 88; and Japan, 63. The median figure for all nations is 125.
Interestingly, the U.S. reliance on incarceration is relatively recent. From 1925 to 1975 the U.S. incarcerated 110 people per 100,000 population.
Why are the imprisonment figures so high in the U.S.? The article speculates that it has to do with our higher violent crime rates. But that sounds unlikely. Yes, we do have more violent crime than most other developed countries, but that form of crime has been declining for almost 20 years. The article also notes that we tend to incarcerate people for longer periods for the same crime than do other countries. But that too sounds as if it is not likely to be the central explanation. We simply seem to be quicker to put people in prison than do other countries. And I'm not entirely sure what factors would help to explain t"
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Money for more bars
Indiana great governor wants to spend more money, that he says we don't have to keep all prisoners locked up. What most people don't know is how much money we have spent on getting inmates ready to get out of prison. If the governor really cares about keeping cost down, he would release prisoners that are non violent and very low priority of keeping in prison. It sounds real good to say all prisoners are doing all the time they have, it gets him a big hand clapping, but its not helping with anything.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Daniel's proposed prison expansions... - Prison Talk
Daniel's proposed prison expansions... - Prison Talk: "Daniels' proposed prison expansions draw doubts
By DEANNA MARTIN
Associated Press Writer
Advertisement
http://imagec05.247realmedia.com/Rea...lt/empty.gif/0
http://imagec05.247realmedia.com/Rea...lt/empty.gif/0INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Faced with tight budgets and prison overcrowding, states across the nation are considering whether to release prisoners early. But in Indiana, the Daniels administration is looking to add space to existing prisons to help keep the growing number of inmates behind bars.
The lean budget proposed by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels includes just two new building projects over the next two years - expansions of the Miami Correctional Facility near Peru and the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility near Sullivan. Each would be expanded by 600 beds, and the state would make $3 million in bond payments to cover the $40 million in construction.
Daniels says public safety must be one of government's top priorities.
'We are not going to turn felons out of prison early where they can prey on the public,' Daniels said. 'That's happening in other states, and we're not going to let it happen here.'
Democrats who control the House have questioned whether the prison expansions are really necessary, especially since the proposed budget doesn't contain any new money for K-12 education and would make cuts in many state agencies and higher education. Some say the state should be investing in education and alternative sentencing programs that could help people avoid prison in the first place.
'It's the wrong emphasis,' said Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary. 'We need to rethink what we're doing in this state.'
But Daniels administration officials are ready to make their case for the proje"
By DEANNA MARTIN
Associated Press Writer
Advertisement
http://imagec05.247realmedia.com/Rea...lt/empty.gif/0
http://imagec05.247realmedia.com/Rea...lt/empty.gif/0INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Faced with tight budgets and prison overcrowding, states across the nation are considering whether to release prisoners early. But in Indiana, the Daniels administration is looking to add space to existing prisons to help keep the growing number of inmates behind bars.
The lean budget proposed by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels includes just two new building projects over the next two years - expansions of the Miami Correctional Facility near Peru and the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility near Sullivan. Each would be expanded by 600 beds, and the state would make $3 million in bond payments to cover the $40 million in construction.
Daniels says public safety must be one of government's top priorities.
'We are not going to turn felons out of prison early where they can prey on the public,' Daniels said. 'That's happening in other states, and we're not going to let it happen here.'
Democrats who control the House have questioned whether the prison expansions are really necessary, especially since the proposed budget doesn't contain any new money for K-12 education and would make cuts in many state agencies and higher education. Some say the state should be investing in education and alternative sentencing programs that could help people avoid prison in the first place.
'It's the wrong emphasis,' said Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary. 'We need to rethink what we're doing in this state.'
But Daniels administration officials are ready to make their case for the proje"
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Prison talk Good and BAD
I want to hear all your good and bad experiences in and out of prison. Plus I would like to hear from your families. No matter how big or small. I would like to try to start making some changes in the way we house and treat inmates in prison and after they've been released.Please feel free to send any pictures or articles you would like to share. No matter what state or country let's all try to help.
Most of these inmates will return to communities we live in. We need for them to come home better than they went in, not mad or upset because of how they were treated.
Most of these inmates will return to communities we live in. We need for them to come home better than they went in, not mad or upset because of how they were treated.
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