Why Are So Many Americans in Prison? (Hint. Not the WOD)

Slate ^ | 02/06/2015 | By Leon Neyfakh

[glorgau]

The one person I know in prison walked into a bank and said “Gimme $10,000 or I start blasting”. Second time she’s gotten caught.

[sakic]

You’re confusing me. Which act are you against?

[ifinnegan]

My iPad is old.

[sakic]

Should blacks have the right to vote?

[ConservingFreedom]

This - and many other articles and well-researched data - disprove the libertarian notice that if we but surrendered in the WOD, we would solve our criminal and incarceration problems.

I don't recall ever seeing anyone claim that those problems would be completely solved by ending drug criminalization - and I'll bet you can't supply a link that makes that claim.

One thing is clear. Drugs - legal or illegal - only serve to increase property crimes, violent crimes and increases our prison population.

The illegality of drugs certainly motivates all of those. But drug legalization, if not accompanied by excessive taxes, would certainly reduce the motivation for property crime; and no currently illegal drug has been shown to systematically increase violent crime (no, anecdotes about people committing violent crimes while high don't qualify as showing a systematic effect).

To say nothing of what drugs do to our unemployment and welfare roles.

They're doing it right now under drug criminalization - and no sound reason has ever been offered to expect that substantial numbers of the same people who are now responsible enough to avoid drugs because they're illegal would after legalization be irresponsible enough to drug themselves into unemployment and welfare.

[ConservingFreedom]

The War on Poverty was bull. The War on Drugs is bull.

It's disappointing how some FReepers actively resist seeing the parallels.

[oh8eleven]

Hell, this is America ... even illegals have a right to vote.

[cuban leaf]

So why did the prison population keep on rising after 1991, when the crime wave ended? It seems like if your theory is right, that the increase in violent crime and property crime caused the prison boom, the end of the crime wave should have been accompanied by decreasing incarceration rates.

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I don’t want to sound over-simplistic, but thieves tend to do so more than once. It’s why three strikes is effective. Did it not occur to them that by incarcerating more people there would be less crime? i.e. The REASON the crime wave ended was that so many repeat offenders are incarcerated.

Kill all the sharks and there will be fewer shark attacks.

[hinckley buzzard]

Yes. Interesting conversation but the "expert" didn't know! What's more, he was honest enough to say so.

[hinckley buzzard]

It’s not rocket science. The Baby-boom population was a huge bubble...

This is my hypothesis as well. Crime began to rise steeply in 1980 when the baby boom was reaching the age of maximum risk for offending.

[Responsibility2nd]

Hell, this is America ... even illegals have a right to vote.

____________________________________

To say nothing of dead people.

[rawcatslyentist]

Don’t forget fictional characters, and sports heroes!

[Ken H]

Crime began its rise in the late 1960s and stayed high until the mid 1990s. It then began a multi-decade decline that continues. See => http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm

As for the cause... I nominate the internet as a major factor.

[jjotto]

Probably just median age. A baby boom of younger people pushes up crime stats that go back down as the whole society gets older and less inclined to take risks.

[JimRed]

I read it and it’s an interesting explanation for why the prison population increased when crime was going down!

Hey, the more locked away, the fewer out thuggin'!

[JimRed]

“There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.” ― Ayn Rand

[Ken H]

Probably just median age. A baby boom of younger people pushes up crime stats that go back down as the whole society gets older and less inclined to take risks.

The last of the baby boomers were 30+ by the mid-90s when crime peaked, so I don't think that explains it. Prime crime years are teens to mid-20s.

[jjotto]

Yes, I see.

Looks like median age bottomed out in the ‘70s.

[cookiemcbride]

You better be all for criminalizing alcohol then, Carry Nation, because just about every violent crime you can think of is usually fueled by booze, related to booze or caused by booze.

Alcohol is more damaging to society than heroin. Straight up fact which neither you nor anyone else can deny.

[Beagle8U]

OK Sparky, if you say so.