The United States has 2.3 million people behind bars, more than any other country in the world and more than ever before in its history. Newly released figures show a sharp racial imbalance in the US prison population, with blacks outnumbering whites by six to one. Nearly 11 percent of black men aged 30-34 are in prison. Why do you think America locks up so many more people than do Canada, Britain and other democracies?
762 per 100,000 residents: United States
152 per 100,000 residents: Britain
108 per 100,000 residents: Canada
Does anybody want to try to explain this?
10 comments:
Thank you. I had a great 80th birthday. Now, why is the United States the world's leading jailer? I'll take a stab at this one. Maybe that is the wrong word. Have you ever spent much time in Compton or South Central Los Angeles? Please don't leave Lake Elsinore and go there. The crime rate is at least 10 times more than Lake Elsinore. I wouldn't want Violet or Ledge to live there. Dana Point is quite safe by comparison. If we didn't lock up people for serious crimes, they would get worst. We have the three strike law now for felons. Canada has something like a 2-srike law. You commit the same crime twice and you are jailed forever. Not many people like the odds. Besides, it is so cold in Canada half of the year, it is not a place where criminals steal cars, rape young girls, and shoot at cops like in Los Angeles. I'm not exactly certain why more blacks commit felonies than whites, but they do, and just because they go to jail for it does not mean we should jail more whites just to make statistics look better. Henry
Henry-wow, you are 80? You're doing great and will probably live to be 110.
Now, about your comments about the United States being the worlds largest jailer. You stated you are not exactly sure why more blacks commit felons than whites, “but they do”. Your comments seems to testify to the fact that you accept the fact that if people are in prison they are guilty. Period! Do you really think America is the land of criminals? Do you think we are inherently a worse people than those of any other country or do you think there is some deeper issues we need to look at?
By the way Linnette. Excellent post! Very thought provoking! I hope people contribute so this dicsussion can carry on.
America has such a high rate of people in prison because we have better resources to catch people who are committing the crimes, and a better court system to prosecute criminals, and even our laws are better and more fair than the laws in other countries.
Henry said, more blacks commit crimes so that explains why there are more blacks in prison. I believe in calling a spade a spade, even if it is unpolitically correct. We are "The Land of the Free" becaue we are free from ciminals because most of them are in prison.
Blacks in the United States are 12 times more likely to be sent to jail for drug-related crimes than whites, even though drug use among the two races is about the same.
Let me say it over again. I believe the United States of America has seven times more criminals than Canada for a lot of reasons. One is that Canada has a lot tougher prison system which is a deterrent against crime. Criminals are also more likely to stay in an open society or ghetto than a place like Canada that is almost always frozon over. I read in local newspapers enough about local crime that I am convinced 10 times more problems exist in the cenrtral Los Angeles area compared to places like Lake Elsinore, Palos Verdes, and even Dana Point. If any of you care to rent a home in Compton or Watts to discover for yourselves what hell is like, be muy guest. The number of injustices are too few to argue.
I will pay half of your first month's rent for any of you who believes you can live in Compton or Watts for more than a month, but you will have to live there the entire month because by then a nearby gang won't want you in its sight and won't give you any hints befoe taking action. This is a gangland legacy. Honest. I got the message while trying to help a young black female candidate run for mayor of Compton. It is one of the most corrupt cities in America. I bet if you went to L. A. County recorders' office in Norwalk you would discover Ron Paul did not get 20 votes in the entire presidential election in Compton, but I won't bet on it. He may have been crazy enough to campaign there! Kidding!
All of my many Mexican friends agree with me on these issues. Yes, Carol, there are deeper issues you must look at.
Linnette: Hope to see you next Sunday! Henry
Linnette: To back up my remarks about crime in Los Angeles, Daily Breeze.com has a front page story today (6-9) about 12 people murdered over the weekend. The article points out that usually only 2 or 3 homicides occur daily in L.A. County. These statistics do not mention burglaries and rape which are devastating. There are several other cities in the U.S. whose crime rates are similar. Therefore I assume this is the reason the United States is the world's leading jailer. Besides, in most countries, criminals are simply put to death for much lesser offenses. Henry
5% world population-- 25% worlds prisoners?. Something ain’t right and it doesn’t have anything to do with Compton, Canada or the blacks. Six words:
Three strikes
Drug War
Plea Bargains
and too many laws!
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