[extropy-chat] Futures Politics

[Samantha Atkins]

On Nov 3, 2005, at 9:04 PM, Matus wrote:

>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org [mailto:extropy-chat-
>> bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Samantha Atkins
>> Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] Futures Politics
>>
>> dreams out of reach for generations.   In the US we have 2.3 million
>> in prison I heard very recently.  More than any country.  More than
>> any country on a per capita basis ever in history.  I have heard that
>> around 60% nationwide are in on drug charges, most for simple
>> possession.  After decades of such hate-filled abuse it still
>>
>> - samantha
>>
>>
>
> Ah another one of my favorite statistics.  Really Samantha, does  
> the US
> imprison a higher percentage of it's population than Vietnam?  Burma?
> Cuba?  Saudi Arabia?  And where exactly do these statistics come from,
> their respective ministries of honorable and reliable information?
>

I did some digging in case this was the regurgitation of some mental  
lint that has been floating around the net.  It turns out that the  
any other country in history part is almost certainly bogus.   
However, as far as is documented, we have more people in prison than  
any other country today and we have more people per capita in prison.

 From the Straight Dope:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040206.html



> Do we ever get to see official sources for these statistics?
>
> I think such a statement should at least be qualified as 'The US
> imprisons a higher percentage of it's population than any other
> westernized liberal democracy' or something to that effect, but to say
> it imprisons more than any country in the world is clearly  
> disingenuous
> and egregious in the face of the millions of people who rot in the  
> hell
> holes and gulags of the murderous dictatorships of the world.
>

Which precisely do you have in mind?

> Additionally it should be noted that we also have a subculture that
> glorifies violence as a means to acquire value.  England has a similar
> problem with it's 'yobs', and this, in addition to the ridiculous
> criminalization of drug use, contributes to our prison populations.
>

Not really.  The rates of violence are down in much of the country.   
Only a small part of the prison population is in for violent crime.   
Homicide, Aggravated Assault, Kidnapping combined came to 3.2% in  
2005 according to the Bureau of Prisons.  Throw in Burglary, Larceny  
and Property Offenses and you get up to 7.2%.   So your hypothesis is  
inconsistent with the data.

- samantha