Not just 'tough on crime' policy, it's 'incarcerate' policies lobbied for by the private prison guard union, the biggest lobbying group in the US. Privatization of prisons is the root cause, as I see it. When putting people in prison is for profit, you can only increase profits by putting more people in prison. I'm glad they finally got to that...but just barely.

Moving this video to enoch's personal queue. It failed to receive enough votes to get sifted up to the front page within 2 days.

*promote

Promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued - promote requested by eric3579.

I...have to say they nailed most of the correct points. Well done.

As Samuel Clemens said, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics.

This 3 minute and 47 sec video can't begin to tell the full story.

One reason so many people in the US go to prison is because there are so many recidivists. You don't go to jail in the US unless you have committed a major felony crime or you are a repeat offender.

That's why those in prison for "mere" drug possession actually have a higher arrest rate for violent crimes than those in prison for burglary, robbery or even drug trafficking, according to innumerable studies, including one in the Journal of the American Statistical Association.

We now have more diversionary programs available than ever before. If you commit a theft crime, you get the opportunity to make recompense and/or attend a program. Same with DUI, take a 3 day class or get locked up for 3 days.

Another reason many black men get locked up is because they commit a lot of violent crimes. Violent crimes will almost always get your ass locked up.

I know a fellow in Oregon who used to be the prayer leader for the Seattle Seahaws, a white man, who to my knowledge has never committed a violent crime, yet he is a repeat offender on DUI driving laws. He was recently committed to prison for 3 years.

And as for these 'get tough on crime' laws...the last one passed in Ohio did just the opposite, making repeat felony thefts a misdemeanor. The lawyers in your local legislators know how to title a crime bill...most of which are an effort to save money, not fight crime.

Also, prison guard unions don't send people to prison, judges do.

As for fewer prisoners in China...they just shoot their offenders in the head...saves quite a bit on housing prisoners.

Making crack cocaine a stiffer penalty crime...well, crack is more addictive than cocaine. So why doesn't Al Sharpton get behind the decriminalization of crack cocaine? Probably not enough money in it.

If you want to make a point about people in the US being incarcerated compared to other countries, I'm going to need to see some numbers on the recidivism rates in those countries, not just some surface facts that don't tell the full story.

it's rather like some countries that don't count neonatal deaths unless the child has survived for 30 days...you can't compare that to numbers from countries that count neonatal deaths at 2 hours.

here's an interesting story about a guy who got out of jail

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Clemmons

undoubtedly a hero to newtboy, since this guy did a grand job of evening the score

Gotta love how the thumbnail captures this girl's self-righteous superiority.

Funny, recidivism is high because there are no social support mechanisms post release, surprise surprise..

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/09/why-scandinavian-prisons-are-superior/279949/

"How is it that Nordic prisons that seem so cushy yield recidivism rates one-half to one-third of those in the U.S. (20-30 percent versus 40-70 percent)? "

I could add more quotes that would show up you're awfully, typically misinformed opinions, but it won't change your mind and I doubt anyone else around here needs to be more convinced that you're an idiot... ; )

You know, capitalism is like salt. Food would be shit without it. There are few dishes where you can't add salt for a better taste. I love salt. However, when you start eating salt by the spoonfulls, you doing it the american way. There is simply no "too much" and no dish where it could ever ruin the taste. So if you strawberries dipped in kosher salt taste shitty, it must be the fruit's fault.