Headline of the Week Weak
Filed under: Headline of the Week
"More than 1 in every 100 Americans now behind bars"
It's not just Paris, Lindsay and Nicole! CLICK HERE to read the shocking article accompanying this headline.
More than 1 in every 100 Americans now behind bars
For the first time in history, more than one in every 100 American adults is in jail or prison, according to a new report tracking the surge in inmate population and urging states to rein in corrections costs with alternative sentencing programs.
The report, released today by the Pew Center on the States, said the 50 states spent more than $49 billion on corrections last year, up from less than $11 billion 20 years earlier. The rate of increase for prison costs was six times greater than for higher education spending, the report said.
Using updated state-by-state data, the report said 2,319,258 adults were held in U.S. prisons or jails at the start of 2008 — one out of every 99.1 adults, and more than any other country in the world.
The steadily growing inmate population "is saddling cash-strapped states with soaring costs they can ill afford and failing to have a clear impact either on recidivism or overall crime," said the report.
Susan Urahn, managing director of the Pew Center on the States, said budget woes are prompting officials in many states to consider new, cost-saving corrections policies that might have been shunned in the recent past for fear of appearing soft in crime.
"We're seeing more and more states being creative because of tight budgets," she said in an interview. "They want to be tough on crime, they want to be a law-and-order state — but they also want to save money, and they want to be effective."
The report cited Kansas and Texas as states which have acted decisively to slow the growth of their inmate population. Their actions include greater use of community supervision for low-risk offenders and employing sanctions other than reimprisonment for ex-offenders who commit technical violations of parole and probation rules.
"The new approach, born of bipartisan leadership, is allowing the two states to ensure they have enough prison beds for violent offenders while helping less dangerous lawbreakers become productive, taxpaying citizens," the report said.
While many state governments have shown bipartisan interest in curbing prison growth, there also are persistent calls to proceed cautiously.
"We need to be smarter," said David Muhlhausen, a criminal justice expert with the conservative Heritage Foundation. "We're not incarcerating all the people who commit serious crimes — but we're also probably incarcerating people who don't need to be."
According to the report, the inmate population increased last year in 36 states and the federal prison system.
The largest percentage increase — 12 percent — was in Kentucky, where Gov. Steve Beshear highlighted the cost of corrections in his budget speech last month. He noted that the state's crime rate had increased only about 3 percent in the past 30 years, while the state's inmate population has increased by 600 percent.
The Pew report was compiled by the Center on the State's Public Safety Performance Project, which is working directly with 13 states on developing programs to divert offenders from prison without jeopardizing public safety.
"For all the money spent on corrections today, there hasn't been a clear and convincing return for public safety," said the project's director, Adam Gelb. "More and more states are beginning to rethink their reliance on prisons for lower-level offenders and finding strategies that are tough on crime without being so tough on taxpayers."
The report said prison growth and higher incarceration rates do not reflect a parallel increase in crime or in the nation's overall population. Instead, it said, more people are behind bars mainly because of tough sentencing measures, such as "three-strikes" laws, that result in longer prison stays.
"For some groups, the incarceration numbers are especially startling," the report said. "While one in 30 men between the ages of 20 and 34 is behind bars, for black males in that age group the figure is one in nine."
The nationwide figures, as of Jan. 1, include 1,596,127 people in state and federal prisons and 723,131 in local jails — a total 2,319,258 out of almost 230 million American adults.
The report said the United States is the world's incarceration leader, far ahead of more populous China with 1.5 million people behind bars. It said the U.S. also is the leader in inmates per capita (750 per 100,000 people), ahead of Russia (628 per 100,000) and other former Soviet bloc nations which make up the rest of the Top 10.
sad
:)
1sT!!
hittttt
hittttt
hittttt
poop
come on perez, who the fuck is gonna read all that!
first
this looks like a wax figure of her!!!
Those pics where Lindsay Ho-han is emulating Marilyn Monroe are gross. Monroe was curvaceous and sexy, Lindsay is a chopstick with no curves. And it's disgusting how her entire body is covered in those big freckles. Those pictures were not appealing at all. They were ugly pictures and she is in no way comparable to Monroe.
no doubt, the us is fucked up!!
This is such bullshit.
We put too many people in jail in this country for no reason, like "possession of controlled substances". WTF?
Less litigation, less bullshit, less people in prison
first!!!
first!!!
lol
first
7th?
first!
COCKKY COLA
wow. not surprising.
Is this for real? Sounds a little off to me
Perez - Wow, the fact that none of your readers have have commented on the fact that this is a stunning and horrible statistic shows how aloof and apathetic your audience is to social, economic and relevant news. While I too enjoy looking in on the obscurity of tinsel town drama, this is stunning that I am indeed the "First" to comment on this. Please continue to post "smart" news stories amongst the celebrity dirt. Hopefully, a few of them will take time to look at the bigger picture in the world.
fghjkl;
first
They should be ashamed.
Lookin waxy
Geez, I guess FOLKS SHOULD QUIT BREAKING THE LAW, HUH?
thats why instead of jail, all these people just just be lined up and killed, that would bring the crime avg. down.
I am writing this comment from prison
Re: Jen – Agreed! I couldn't say it better myself!
why is this on perezhilton?
My father is a jail guard in PA - I'm not surprised by these stats in the least. It's only going to get worse unless we come up with a better system. Incarceration doesn't scare people the way it used to.
maybe they should stop arresting people for minor crimes like marijuana possession
Re: Jen – You're an idiot.
News.com had just recently an article that 1 out 4 British citizens do not know who Winston Churchill was.
PEREZ, you know I've been working on this, but in Iowa, people are in prison because clout is key there.
God forbid you try to defend yourself such as the Mike Mette case, then you're heading to prison.
Today I just received documents that will prove it and am going to post them. So it's ironic that you posted this.
www mikemettedefensefund com
land of the free? what a laugh, we suck.
The US justice system is a joke. Start treating drug addiction as the health issue it is, or you will continue to fill jails. Stop punishing people for being poor, or you will continue to fill jails. It's a corrupt system which only serves rich white yanks. America should be ashamed of itself.
And you losers who write 1st, 1st, 1st………… what are you doing? Contribute or piss off.
They should give more death penalties to fix the problem. Nobody cares a shit about murderers, rapists, paedophiles etc.
Wow, what a shocking statistic — 1% of our population is in jail? Come on, Perez, that seems low if you ask me.
I'm impressed, Perez. Keep up the good work of educating your readers on civil rights abuses.
And for those who say they don't give an F about these issues, well, read the article and absorb the fact that billions and billions of dollars that could be spent better elsewhere are being used to house human beings that don't need incarceration. Next time you wish there was more money for health care or student loans or whatever, just remember your state spends about a billion dollars a year on this shit and has none left for YOU.
The world is having major Britney Withdrawls
The world is having major Britney Withdrawls
I GUESS ALL THE LATCH KEY KIDS ARE GROWN UP NOW THATS WHY WE HAVE MESSED UP SOCEITY PARENTS WITH NO MORALS TEACHING THEIR JACKED UP KIDS NO! MORALS! SHAME MAKES THE US LOOK BAD BLAME SHOULD REST SQUARELY ON THE PARENTS OF THESE MESSED UP YOUNG IMATURE MESSED UP YOUTH
Re: kkk 4 life – Wtf r u talking about u son of a bi-tch…go kill urself..now!
Re: Claire – not to mention if the US cut the defence budget by less than 5% the entire schoolage population of the US could be educated from birth to the end of college for free! You yanks are getting so ripped off, but y'all keep voting for it…….
1 in 100?
Well if black people stopped committing crimes maybe we wouldn't have to put so many of them in jail. No worries though, I am sure Pres. Obama will pull a moses and let his people go!
hahahaha
The laws are stupid my ex owes me child support and yeah he was little behind but hey he was sending what he could and because he was more than $5000 behind they issued a bench warrant and put him in jail for 45 days. Now for those 45 days I didn't receive child support and he lost his job because of that stupid law. So do you think I am going to get child support nope and I can't blame my ex cause at least he was trying to pay me. Dumb I tell you, just dumb.
Its because of the cops!! They will do anything and lie about anything to get people put in jail!!! Hopefully your not black,sorry most places in america you dont have a chance, i'm not even black and I can see it.
I'd like to see the percentage of those individuals in jail/prison for Marijuana related crimes too.
What's your source, Perez? You better not be breaking copyright law, or I'll starting banning you.
let the drug abusers out of jail so we can keep the rapists, murderers, and molestors in… i dont understand why its so hard
17% of the population in federal prisons is illegal aliens, it is also one of the fatest popluations in prisons.
The is so ridiculous if they would follow suit from other countries that have a very low crime rate and legalize marijuana that number would drastically change, i have worked in bars all my life and i have seen first hand the effects of alcohol on the person drinking and their families and i ask myself every day, why alcohol and not pot?? It is proven that pot is less harmful than even caffeine AND there are no physically addictive substances in pot.
YOU are paying to house your own families and for dozens of criminals, to have heat, hydro, better health care than you have, 3 good meals a day, cable T.V. and a roof over their heads, some can't even afford that for themselves!!
The #1 reason that all of these people are in jail is on marijuina related charges!!! When are we going to say ENOUGH!
and once you've been incarcerated in the US you lose your right to vote — so that means 1 out of 100 are DISENFRANCHISED! Will we become a nation where a significant portion of the population cannot vote, engage in meaningful employment or otherwise contribute to society again?
Re: kkk 4 life – WOW dude that is way HARSH…
All you people need to know that putting so many people in jail is bad for society…but GOOD for pencil dick Corporate White America. All those inbred fools have MILLION$ invested into jails and make money off of the amount on inmates among other stuff.
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And Republicans LOVE that. "It encourages business" is what they said. Beautiful….
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And do you people realize that they are putting people in jail for so fuckin reason these days?? Its all about keeping the jail alive and making these fools money.
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WAKE UP America!! Fuckin WAKE UP!! This SHIT is going on around our country. Pretty soon this country will collapse under the pressures from all the bullshit these people are doing to our country. We don't need a fuckin plane flying into Towers for us to realize that there are things wrong with our country.
pepsi represent
Re: Joanna – HOW GIVES A FUCK.. Go on line and FIND the source and WHO gives a fuck if you dont come back to Perez's site.. NO one wants you here anyway you dirty whore
Re: kkk 4 life – Hey CUNT! Mr. KKK, say it loud and proud. Everybody knows that you stupid asses are all a bunch of inbred retards who fuckin hate everybody else cuz you all have fuckin feet growing out of your faces you're so inbred…
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And its YOUR fuckin kind that's being locked up ass. Inbred Redneck RETARDS!! I say we drag all you cunts by the leg. Make it less shameful for some of us to be white…
The is so ridiculous if they would follow suit from other countries that have a very low crime rate and legalize marijuana that number would drastically change, i have worked in bars all my life and i have seen first hand the effects of alcohol on the person drinking and their families and i ask myself every day, why alcohol and not pot?? It is proven that pot is less harmful than even caffeine AND there are no physically addictive substances in pot.
YOU are paying to house your own families and for dozens of criminals, to have heat, hydro, better health care than you have, 3 good meals a day, cable T.V. and a roof over their heads, some can't even afford that for themselves!!
The #1 reason that all of these people are in jail is on marijuana related charges!!! When are we going to say ENOUGH!
How about when people commit a crime, they get a hand cut off. Think of the lesson learned — every time they tried to wipe their own ass and realize it's really hard with only one hand — they'd remember the day they commited a crime.
we should stop spending billions of dollars on the FAILED drug prohibition and let people have the freedom to do what they want! LEGALIZE WEED
Its nice to see an article like this on her for a change.. Good work Perez
Re: PrettyBaby76 – Dude, Its YES Alcohol and NO to Marijuana cuz its the White man who owns Alcohol but Brown people own Marijuana. Its all grown down south and the White man is mad cuz he can't have his hands on it. If White people owned the Marijuana business then you'd see. It'd be selling ALL OVER. 18+ would be the legal age and shit
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I find it retarded too that Alcohol is legal while Pot is not. Alcohol does more damage and causes WAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY more deaths than Marijuana.
All you people need to know that putting so many people in jail is bad for society…but GOOD for pencil dick Corporate White America. All those inbred fools have MILLION$ invested into jails and make money off of the amount on inmates among other stuff.
.
.
.
.
And Republicans LOVE that. "It encourages business" is what they said. Beautiful….
.
.
.
And do you people realize that they are putting people in jail for so fuckin reason these days?? Its all about keeping the jail alive and making these fools money.
.
.
WAKE UP America!! Fuckin WAKE UP!! This SHIT is going on around our country. Pretty soon this country will collapse under the pressures from all the bullshit these people are doing to our country. We don't need a fuckin plane flying into Towers for us to realize that there are things wrong with our country.
All you people need to know that putting so many people in jail is bad for society…but GOOD for pencil dick Corporate White America. All those inbred fools have MILLION$ invested into jails and make money off of the amount on inmates among other stuff.
.
.
.
.
And Republicans LOVE that. "It encourages business" is what they said. Beautiful….
.
.
.
And do you people realize that they are putting people in jail for so fuckin reason these days?? Its all about keeping the jail alive and making these fools money.
.
.
WAKE UP America!! Fuckin WAKE UP!! This SHIT is going on around our country. Pretty soon this country will collapse under the pressures from all the bullshit these people are doing to our country. We don't need a fuckin plane flying into Towers for us to realize that there are things wrong with our country…
All you people need to know that putting so many people in jail is bad for society…but GOOD for pencil dick Corporate White America. All those inbred fools have MILLION$ invested into jails and make money off of the amount on inmates among other stuff.
.
.
.
.
And Republicans LOVE that. "It encourages business" is what they said. Beautiful….
.
.
.
And do you people realize that they are putting people in jail for so fuckin reason these days?? Its all about keeping the jail alive and making these fools money.
.
.
WAKE UP America!! Fuckin WAKE UP!! This SHIT is going on around our country. Pretty soon this country will collapse under the pressures from all the bullshit these people are doing to our country. We don't need a fuckin plane flying into Towers for us to realize that there are things wrong with our country….