1) Unlike most other countries, the US is not dominated by one ethnic group. Even Canada is still more or less Anglo. We used to norm and properly assimilate immigrants. We don't any more. And we don't norm in other ways either - tolerance and diversity make it impossible to enforce any norms.
2) The US, in undermining its culture, has allowed consumerism to fill the void. Consumerism can bring out anti social and criminal behavior.
3) The criminal justice system still cycles people in and out, and lets many criminals off the hook. This breeds a culture of acceptability of crime.
4) Our prisons allow gangs, jailhouse imams and other liberal ills. This breeds crime organizations and violence. Even many European prisons are far more controlled than ours.
I could go on and on with this, I think you get the idea.
No, you are just wrong.
[...] tolerance and diversity make it impossible to enforce any norms.
India has several official languages, nationalities and religions.
India has 24 prisoners per 100,000 people versus 740 prisoners per 100,000 people in USA.
US, in undermining its culture, has allowed consumerism to fill the void. Consumerism can bring out anti social and criminal behavior.
I am not sure how to measure consumerism but Netherlands are quite consumerist. They have 65 prisoners per 100,000 people versus 740 prisoners per 100,000 people in USA.
The criminal justice system still cycles people in and out, and lets many criminals off the hook. This breeds a culture of acceptability of crime.
Swedish system is very lenient. Sweden has 65 prisoners per 100,000 people too.
Even many European prisons are far more controlled than ours.
Which ones?
No, the real reasons are War on Drugs, Puritan traditions, wide spread love of punishment, rewarding prosecutors for number of convictions and immunity from liability for false charges, ease of fabricating evidence. Plea bargaining and rewards for false witnesses.
And very important reason is the PRIVATIZATION of prisons and turning them into source of profit.