tk421 wrote: Put them to work. Get them out of the prisons and have them do something productive that would save money for the state, etc.

I like this idea.

CenterBHSFan wrote:

Manhattan Buckeye wrote: "I think we could do without a lot of the law enforcement and jails. We have at any given time way too many people in jail."

In a sense I agree, but do we want the unemployment rate to be higher? What do you expect all of these incarcerated folks to do?

I'll take it one step further.

WTF are we supposed to do with all the people who commit serious crimes?

Even if it is a "lesser" crime, are they to go unpunished?

There are much better punishments than jail time.

And of course serious crimes should still carry jail time. Where did I say that all prisoners should be let out or that all jails should be closed?

Manhattan Buckeye wrote: "I think we could do without a lot of the law enforcement and jails. We have at any given time way too many people in jail."

In a sense I agree, but do we want the unemployment rate to be higher? What do you expect all of these incarcerated folks to do?

I don't get it.

I Wear Pants wrote:

CenterBHSFan wrote:

Manhattan Buckeye wrote: "I think we could do without a lot of the law enforcement and jails. We have at any given time way too many people in jail."

In a sense I agree, but do we want the unemployment rate to be higher? What do you expect all of these incarcerated folks to do?

I'll take it one step further.

WTF are we supposed to do with all the people who commit serious crimes?

Even if it is a "lesser" crime, are they to go unpunished?

There are much better punishments than jail time.

And of course serious crimes should still carry jail time. Where did I say that all prisoners should be let out or that all jails should be closed?

I don't know. Did I quote you as saying that? :huh:

"WTF are we supposed to do with all the people who commit serious crimes?"

That implies that what I said applied at all to people who committed serious crimes. I didn't state that they were exempt from my "we have too many people in jail" rant but I assumed it didn't need saying.

I Wear Pants wrote: I think we could do without a lot of the law enforcement and jails. We have at any given time way too many people in jail.



According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS): "In 2008, over 7.3 million people were on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole at year-end — 3.2% of all U.S. adult residents or 1 in every 31 adults."

It would be interesting to know what the percentage graph would look like. And yes my main focus was on the ATF&E and DEA. Let the states and people decide how they want to handle these issues. Both these agencies can trace their roots to the bureau of prohibition formed to enforce the Volstead act in 1919.

As in, percentage of the population?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Incarceration_rate_of_inmates_incarcerated_under_state_and_federal_jurisdiction_per_100,000_population_1925-2008.png

hmmm so let me understand this....there are too many in people in prison because we have too many people(agents) to enforce the laws?

maybe you should move to youngstown, we are about to lay off a third of the sheriff's department and release a few hundred inmates because of budget cuts.

I Wear Pants wrote:

Manhattan Buckeye wrote: "I think we could do without a lot of the law enforcement and jails. We have at any given time way too many people in jail."

In a sense I agree, but do we want the unemployment rate to be higher? What do you expect all of these incarcerated folks to do?

I don't get it.

What don't you get? Are the incarcerated folks going to make a living whistling dixie? We have millions of unemployed Americans now, if we reduce the prison population and add more numbers to the labor force, what do you think will happen to the UE rate?

My comment was mostly tongue in cheek but surely you get math, right?

I Wear Pants wrote: As in, percentage of the population?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Incarceration_rate_of_inmates_incarcerated_under_state_and_federal_jurisdiction_per_100,000_population_1925-2008.png

The link was FUBAR.

Manhattan Buckeye wrote:

I Wear Pants wrote:

Manhattan Buckeye wrote: "I think we could do without a lot of the law enforcement and jails. We have at any given time way too many people in jail."

In a sense I agree, but do we want the unemployment rate to be higher? What do you expect all of these incarcerated folks to do?

I don't get it.

What don't you get? Are the incarcerated folks going to make a living whistling dixie? We have millions of unemployed Americans now, if we reduce the prison population and add more numbers to the labor force, what do you think will happen to the UE rate?

My comment was mostly tongue in cheek but surely you get math, right?

I get the math but that's a stupid thing to worry about. The amount of money we'd save on incarcerations would be insane.

majorspark wrote:

I Wear Pants wrote: As in, percentage of the population?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Incarceration_rate_of_inmates_incarcerated_under_state_and_federal_jurisdiction_per_100,000_population_1925-2008.png

The link was FUBAR.

It's the 4th image down on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States

I Wear Pants wrote:

It's the 4th image down on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States
[/quote]

Got it.

I would have to check but it would appear the spike has a lot to do with incarcerations related to drug laws. It would be interesting to see it broken out into types of crimes. I see there was a small spike during prohibition but that could have been attributed to the depression as well. WWII could have been a factor as well in the drop after prohibition as well. But I would suspect it was at least a in part to the repeal of prohibition. One thing that is telling is the dramatic spike correlating with the start of the war on drugs.

The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world at 754 persons in prison or jail per 100,000 (as of 2008). A report released Feb. 28, 2008 indicates that more than 1 in 100 adults in the United States are in prison. The United States has less than 5% of the world's population and 23.4% of the world's prison population.

That's depressing as shit.

From the wikipedia on incarceration in the US:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States