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October 25, 2023
Prison Policy Initiative highlights ten stats about modern criminal justice system
Emily Widra at Prison Policy Initiative has produced this new item under the title "Ten statistics about the scale and impact of mass incarceration in the U.S." The stats listed, along with PPI's signature visuals, actually cover a lot more than incarceration, and here is how the list is set up:
The United States’ reliance on incarceration outpaces most of the globe: every single state incarcerates more people per capita than virtually any independent democracy on Earth. But the sheer magnitude and impact of a system so large can be hard to fully comprehend. We looked back over some of the best criminal legal system research and chose these ten statistics as some of the most handy for advocates, policymakers, and journalists working to help the public appreciate just how far-reaching mass incarceration is in this country.
Here are a couple of the items from the list (with links from the original):
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People cycle through local jails more than 7 million times each year.
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3.7 million people are held under community supervision such as probation and parole — more people than are held in jails and prisons combined.
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More than 79 million people in the U.S. have a criminal record, creating barriers to housing, jobs, healthcare, and food assistance, among many other collateral consequences.
October 25, 2023 at 09:39 PM | Permalink
Comments
People who have led law-abiding lives after a brush with the law ought to be considered for pardon/expungement.
Posted by: federalist | Oct 26, 2023 8:53:17 AM
https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2023/10/26/jamaal-bowman-finally-charged-with-pulling-fire-alarm-n587791
Interesting. Every single nonviolent J6 defendant should be immediately released. Or Bowman gets years in prison.
Posted by: federalist | Oct 26, 2023 9:33:56 AM
And there's this: https://nypost.com/2023/10/25/news/fbi-had-over-40-confidential-sources-providing-criminal-information-on-biden-family-sen-chuck-grassley-says/
Posted by: federalist | Oct 26, 2023 9:43:12 AM
Don't forget the two-tiered system of justice: https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/10/two-tiered-justice-biden-doj-protects-dem-congressman-jamaal-bowman-over-fire-drill/
Posted by: federalist | Oct 26, 2023 1:37:05 PM
The lifetime of collateral consequences is more overwhelming than the years in prison for most former felons. The Judges and Legislators just don't get the part about the lifetime of collateral consequences. It's no wonder that so many turn back to crime, given their frustrations and financial limitations.
Posted by: Jim Gormley | Oct 26, 2023 8:56:56 PM
Very well said, Jim. And I join in your comments.
And interestingly, I also agree with federalist's comment that "People who have led law-abiding lives after a brush with the law ought to be considered for pardon/expungement". Perhaps some non-violent repeat offenders may be considered as well, on a case by case review.
Federalist has also made us aware of Georgia's "First Offender Treatment" (Georgia law, O.C.G.A. section 42-8-60) in a previous posting. Thank you for that, federalist. It is appreciated.
I support the idea of using successful state-level initiatives, such as this Georgia model for federal legislation. In the case of Georgia's criminal justice reforms, which have included measures to reduce recidivism, decriminalize low-level offenses, and expand access to behavioral health services, these initiatives could potentially be leveraged to guide broader federal efforts to reform the criminal justice system.
It is long past time to bring our CJS out of the 15th Century and into the modern era.
Posted by: SG | Oct 27, 2023 4:13:47 PM
