US incarceration is highest in world

"The United States has 5 percent of the world's population and 25 percent of the world's incarcerated population. We rank first in the world in locking up our fellow citizens," said Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance, which supports alternatives in the war on drugs.  "We now imprison more people for drug law violations than all of western Europe, with a much larger population, incarcerates for all offences."

Keep them behind bars!

In some States, like North Carolina, inmates can receive Associate Degrees, Bachelors Degrees, and Masters Degrees...  Doctorates are being considered, but typically require on site residency which is obviously out-of-the-question for these guys and gals.

Seven million people are behind bars which is 1 in 32 of American adults - staggering numbers!  Two million of the 7 million are drug offenders.  There is more crime in American than in Europe or Japan or Russia.

Why are we not protesting this?  And, what side of the protest line would you be on?

How much money does this cost the American or State taxpayer every year?  And, a more interesting question is, if this number were to suddenly reduce, how many law enforcement personnel would have to be laid off.  So, in a way, the more people behind bars, the more we can employ the unemployed in the law enforcement arenas.

Is she a mother?

What an interesting trade-off...  and, we have not even started to discuss the children of these inmates outside of the bars and the cost to society to raise them...  and, if they will follow in their parent's footsteps.


So, now what's the cost?