America Incarcerates More Than Any Other Nation In The World!!!

I wonder if that article took into consideration population differences. -The USA has FAR more people than many other "developed" nations. USA= 298,444,215(July 2006) Netherlands= 16,491,461(July 2006) France= 60,876,136(July 2006) UK= 60,609,153(July 2006) Germany= 82,422,299(July 2006) Another thing is the amount of illegal immigrants. The USA has far more illegal immigrants than other countries and no matter what you ma think, this does effect crime levels.

Sorry Disagree I live in the UK and we have a similar problem. But.... how do you educate someone NOT to be a criminal.... better that you make it so HARD IN PRISON that they do not WANT TO GO BACK !! Here is a fact that I found out about the UK I am an ex-military man. I was in the Army. We have a VERY HARD penal system in the Army, at Colchester Barracks. If a soldier gets sentenced here, he regrets it!!! It IS HARD !!!!! The military KNOW it is hard! Most soldiers do "time" in a "Local Jail" in their Regiments for "Minor crime" but.......... If they go to "Colly" they know what is coming!! Statistics show that 1 percent of soldiers who have "Done time" in Colchester never go back!!!!! 25 percent of ALL offenders in Civilian life who go to prison re-offend!! You see the difference!! The harder the better!! People commit crime because it is the "easy way out" to get cash !! It is wrong, they know it is wrong, but they also know that if they get caught the courts are leniant!

i think that shows that the law is working efficiently, and i do not see any reason to complain if the criminals are sent to jail, it would have been worse if they were not sent and left there to mingle with innocent people, they could have created more disorder among the people.

My friend's 85 year old grandmother is looking to be locked up for 6 months for trespassing. She is a big protester of the war in Iraq. So her and a group of friends went to the local senator's office and protest. The office closed at 5pm and since they refused to leave before they could talk to the senator they were all arrested. Since my friend's grandmother has a past record of being arrested for protesting they could throw her in jail for 6 months. Of course I feel she should be punished for breaking the law but putting her in jail for something so trivial seems a waste of taxpayers money.

i agree that the jails are all over crowded, but what else can you do?? set them free to comit more crimes...maybe they should put jail time on more serious offenses. like white collar crimes ....i don't think they'll be that dangerous, but yet they should be punished for their crimes...the only way to reduce the over crowding is to have less people commit crimes...do you have any suggestion on how to do this??? if you do just bring it up with your state senetor or something...i'm sure they'll be willing to listen if its a good suggestion, but as for me...i have no clue on where else to put these people...

interesting, although China jails the most Journalists of any country, and Iran jails the most Journalists that put their work on the internet. different categories lead to different results. But if we have the most crime in the world, i expect we have the most prisoners.....

Hye Chunkers I gots this one!! lol..I think we need to get all those jailbirds out of prison/jail..and draft them!! Sent them alll over to Iraq and fight for us..and if they dont..they will end up egtting theres anyways..This way..were not sending over good people to die anymore..get the molesters,rapists,murderers,all of em..do u relize how much money we would save? and they would still get there 3 meals..just not as good as they get now! HA HA~! WHAT YA THINK??

It does not surprise me that we incarcerate more people than any other nation with all the technology that we have. There actually should be more people in prison right now but they have not been caught yet. I do not know anyone that is currently locked up or has been locked up. We shouldn't have to pay taxes to keep them locked up but we certainly can't allow these people to be free, especially the murderers,rapists and child molesters. Rehabilitation won't work on all of them and that would probably mean more tax money coming from us.

Jeesh how is that possible when they refuse to arrest the type of people that I get stuck forcing to live with sighs... In alot of case they are arresting people on stupid things. Speeding.. when they were walking faster then the speed limit... with a bike in their hands, WALKING.. not riding their bike, or causing trouble or safety hazards walking... People been arrested for drunk driving if they were sleeping in a parked vehicle not going anywhere... because they were homeless, and just got back from a party they were invited too and had no beverages in their vehicle but were found sleeping in their back seats drunk... Now many people are getting arrested under the "Patriot" as being suspected Terrorist for suddenly having enough money to pay of their bills, or for participating in a petition, or writing a letter to their senator. IF people want to cut down crime, and criminals, They need to add positivity back into the media, society, entertainment good inspiration, heart warming, that people tend to want to blow off as so called weaknesses... People need to learn how to be strong and tough without having to become a hardened and damaged criminal, and people need to learn to be aware of HOW the media, and ourselves cover.... Tradegies like school shootings, and bombings, and everything else. Is is treally necesarrily to show the bombers face on the TV and talk about them for months and years, at a time. People who want that attention, think ... I want my face on TV I want to be remembered so I am bad, I get the attention I crave and need.. . People need to learn how to give proper attention to the proper people at the right time... They need to learn how to instill respect. They need to know how to properly report things to the proper authority, at the right time, and if you think that authority is not being taking care of in the right manner. Then write to the editors and politicians..... If people want to change community and society then they need to put the positive safe activities back into community... So everyone is having fun, no one is left out, and rich or poor can gather together in a safe manner. Another thing is poverty, loss of jobs, people being forced to sell their homes or business to large corporations... You want to make a different in your community. Boy from Local Stores, and businesses check out the small locally ran stores and businesses first, then if they do not have what you want or need then go to the incorporations.... That will help the economy, as well as small family businesses...... And rehabilitation works for those who WANT to Change Desire to change, and who will WORK towards a change, it does not work for people who do not want to change. So I believe a person can be assessed for rehabilitation, and in other ways. I strongly believe in community service, I also believe that some people would do better going into a program for the Army or navy, or marines, and if they do well in this program, and do not get kicked out they can be released from jail into serving our country in these programs, as Some people who are into Gang activity want to be part of something and join for family, support and to serve, for them to serve in something greater would be the best reward, to them in the end..... But it would have to be a special training and rehabilitation and by choice, and those who do not pass the training stages, either go back to jail, or go to training into better careers... Like taking Pyromaniacs,,, and forcing them, to Learn how to fight fires, and allowing them to work for 2-3 years fighting wildfires.... and to be released.. after serving their years for that. Then afterwards.. They may be able to end up in a career as fire fighting, and safely doing so.... as this would be a positive way to feed the need of playing with fire, but in a positive way... To help control and put it out, instead of starting and igniting it. If a person murders someone out of racism, and really wants to change their life... Ghandi said something on this. To way to to fix it. Is if a person who a is black murders a white. They should have to help white children who lost their father, in special programs, and help raise them in white customs in these special programs. Not only would it help them realised that not all white people are bad, but also help them make up for that boys loss and healing to understand that not all who did such an act in the end are necessarily bad people. They were sick, depressed, misguided, made the wrong choices.. of course all these programs have special supervisors and law enforcement on hand to help make sure that nothing goes wrong...... If a Christian is Caught Harassing a Pagan.. for their views. They should have to for Community Service help out at a Pagan Gathering.... and for a limited amount of time observe what is going on at these services, and be taught the trut about this Pagan's tradition. Same with a Pagan Harassing a Christian, or a Muslim Harassing a Jew. If they did things like this, It not only would teach people to learn to tolerate difffence in community and culture... but also in the end to realise that there is not much difference.... Although the one performing community service, Needs to be doing so under cover so they are treated like any other Pagan, or Christian at the event, and are NOT open to harassment, conversion,reversion, or other issues, but should be allowed to state, that I am Not a Pagan, I am a Christian, and I am here to just observe and learn.... etc... One Easy way to do this among children, from a young age. Is if the children are caught argueing.. They both have to say three nice things to the person they had offend or argued with. This teaches the children to learn to look for the good things in everyone around them, as well as learn that is it better to act towards one another in goodness and kindness... The change with the adults is to late. If people want less criminals, they have to really focus on the young people, and the children... the world is very fast paced, and confusion, and they are being pulled 11 directions, and have to deal with more now then ever before... It comes down to strongly raising children with the values of Respect, Non-violance, and tolerance of eachothers differences... That is not the US. that is anywhere. - DNatureofDTrain

i think america does make a lot of mistakes and whats more it burries them. I work in a maximum security prison and i see those that other countries would kill, we dont hang em but still get it wrong more than we should. I have seen men locked up for murder for 20 years or more only to be released after having their conviction quashed, in a less enlightened country we would not be able to release them

Am not sure what the statistics are now..I don't think that they have improved..however it was stated that farming was the predominate occupation some 40 yrs ago I think and now the predominate numbers are in prisons. I think that makes a strong point since so many people do not farm therefore do not have families, pets, animals, chores etc to keep their hands from being idle or frustrating. This is a good discussion and hope you get many answers..I look forward to learning a few things.

There are big money at stake here . You see in the USA private prisons operate

I agree more needs to be done to inform people who are on the road to prison. The people in prison now have such a hard time changing their lives, one reason is because when you parole you parole with 200 dollars depending on what state you live in and when you parole you are required most of the time to parole to the county you came from. If one has nobody on the streets he or she has 200 in pocket to live on it makes it hard to become a citizen. they say there are programs for those who want it. I say bullshit. I know from experience I am just lucky to have had family and even then its hard. How can one avoid going back to prison with 200 in pocket no place to live and in the same county they came from. It is hard to make changes first of all and almost impossible with no place to go. It sets one up to steal or what ever to be able to survive its such a visious circle. If the states would do more to help the disadvantaged it could go something like this. A parole would get 6 months rent in a county he did not come from. If after 6 months he screwed up then yes send him back because in 6 months you should be able to have a job and live a crime free life. You can not send him to a place where everyone is a parole just find him a little studio in a city where he can get his life together. I had a homeboy cry to me before becaused he returns to the same place with nothing but his criminal friends making it impossible for change. spend money in the right placed to rehabilitate. most people really want to change but surviving in a world with no place to go is one of the hardest things.