The U.S. currently has 25% of the world's prison population while having only 5% of the world's population. Our incarnation rates are far ahead of those of other industrialized nations.At a time when states are struggling to reduce bloated prison populations and tight budgets, a private prison management company is offering to buy prisons in exchange for various considerations, including a controversial guarantee that the governments maintain a 90% occupancy rate for at least 20 years.
The $250 million proposal, circulated by the Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America to prison officials in 48 states, has been blasted by some state officials who suggest such a program could pressure criminal justice officials to seek harsher sentences to maintain the contractually required occupancy rates.
"You don't want a prison system operating with the goal of maximizing profits," says Texas state Sen. John Whitmire, a Houston Democrat and advocate for reducing prison populations through less costly diversion programs. "The only thing worse is that this seeks to take advantage of some states' troubled financial position."
But this isn't because the U.S. has more crime than other industrialized nations. On a per capita basis the U.K. and France both have more crime per capita.
The crime rate in United Kingdom is high compared to other industrialized countries. An analysis was done using INTERPOL data for United Kingdom. For purpose of comparison, data were drawn for the seven offenses used to compute the United States FBI's index of crime. Index offenses include murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. The combined total of these offenses constitutes the Index used for trend calculation purposes. United Kingdom will be compared with Japan (country with a low crime rate) and USA (country with a high crime rate). According to the INTERPOL data, for murder, the rate in 2001 was 1.63 per 100,000 population for United Kingdom 1.10 for Japan, and 5.61 for USA. For rape, the rate in 2001 was 16.50 for United Kingdom, compared with 1.78 for Japan and 31.77 for USA. For robbery, the rate in 2001 was 182.69 for United Kingdom, 4.08 for Japan, and 148.50 for USA. For aggravated assault, the rate in 2001 was 30.07 for United Kingdom, 23.78 for Japan, and 318.55 for USA. For burglary, the rate in 2001 was 1,605.14 for United Kingdom, 233.60 for Japan, and 740.80 for USA. The rate of larceny for 2001 was 3,468.55 for United Kingdom, 1401.26 for Japan, and 2484.64 for USA. The rate for motor vehicle theft in 2001 was 650.47 for United Kingdom, compared with 44.28 for Japan and 430.64 for USA. The rate for all index offenses combined was 5955.05 for United Kingdom, compared with 1709.88 for Japan and 4160.51 for USA. (Note that Japan data are for year 2000)
This is all according to a report done by Interpol in 2001The crime rate in France is high compared to other industrialized countries. An analysis was done using INTERPOL data for France. For purpose of comparison, data were drawn for the seven offenses used to compute the United States FBI’s index of crime. Index offenses include murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. The combined total of these offenses constitutes the Index used for trend calculation purposes. France will be compared with Japan (country with a low crime rate) and USA (country with a high crime rate). According to the INTERPOL data, for murder, the rate in 2002 was 4.07 per 100,000 population for France, 1.10 for Japan, and 5.51 for USA. For rape, the rate in 2002 was 17.63 for France, compared with 1.78 for Japan and 32.05 for USA. For robbery, the rate in 2002 was 224.35 for France, 4.08 for Japan, and 144.92 for USA. For aggravated assault, the rate in 2002 was 211.26 for France, 23.78 for Japan, and 323.62 for USA. For burglary, the rate in 2002 was 726.98 for France, 233.60 for Japan, and 728.42 for USA. The rate of larceny for 2002 was 2768.39 France, 1401.26 for Japan, and 2475.27 for USA. The rate for all index offenses combined was 4434.51 for France, compared with 1709.88 for Japan and 4123.97 for USA.
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/rwinslow/index.html
If the U.K. and France have higher crime and conviction rates why does the U.S. have so many more people than them in prison? It is because our sentences are too long. For instance
Consider their impact on one downstate woman, age 23, who was sentenced in 2001 to 21 years and 10 months in prison for selling less than a half ounce of crack cocaine. After giving her the shortest sentence the law allowed
Since it seems the that the government is feeding people to the U.S. prison complex, is there anyone here that seriously believes it is a good thing to further privatize our prisons? Furthermore, since privatizing our prison system has damned millions of people to a life of shame and poverty why should we expect privatization of other government services to improve our lives? How can we as a society not be bothered by this?In January 2012, Eric Hamilton, 44, was sentenced to life without parole in Louisiana for possession of more
than 400 grams of cocaine, typically punishable by 15 to 30 years. However, because he had been convicted in
1994 and 2002 of other drug offenses, he is now sentenced to die in prison.
