America's Love of Prisons

[Howard Moon]

Because we have for profit prisons, so people make money by locking others up.

Can you expand on this, please? For-profit prisions?

[Reeve]

We do have far more population than Europe. We do not have the cradle to grave welfare, thus more want. We have cultures that encourage or at least tolerates violent behavior. Liberal European nations are more likey to use plea to lower the degree of the crime (even if it not deserved, victims life is always cheaper than the murderer), thus lower punishment. Then there is the drug laws, which greatly skews the prison population.

It's a rate per X population, so the size of the US population doesn't matter in the OP's graphic except inasmuch as you might make a comment about population density having an effect on crime rates. But then Europe is higher population density than the US IIRC.

[Masark]

Can you expand on this, please? For-profit prisions?

Exactly what it sounds like. Prisons run by private companies who get paid by the government to store prisoners.

It's in the companies interest to store as many people as possible for as cheap as possible.

[mindbomb]

http://americandrugwar.com/

This doc hits this topic hard. Mandatory minimums, privatized jails, non-violent offenders, etc basically in depth look at what the video above discusses.

[SpacedOut]

Because we are too pussy to execute people when they are convicted and instead let them live for another 10 years.

1/10, terrible troll. Count all the countries on the graph that execute prisoners.

Infracted.

[Kujako]

Can you expand on this, please? For-profit prisions?

Prisons are often run by corporations, they make money by incarcerating people. Not only do they get paid by the Government with tax dollars, but they also get to put the inmates to work. If you get a telemarketing call, there is a good chance it's coming from a prison and the person you are talking to is locked up. This makes it so that there is money to be made by locking people up for the most petty of crimes. So the companies in question loby their representatives to be "tough on crime".

[smelltheglove]

1: "war on drugs"

2: political points - being "tough on crime" wins elections, and earning that title means more jail sentences for more years

3: a prosecutorial system that emphasizes numbers instead of judgement

[Kalis]

The US didn't want to be outdone by those pesky Soviets, so decided to send more people to gaol than Stalin.

Have that you damn commies.

[Ebildays]

I would say the Three Strike Rule has a lot to do with it.

[Roose]

I am still waiting for someone to tell me how this has improved America as a whole.

[Deleted]

Relevant QI:


But yeah, as mentioned above it's a mix of various factors, three strikes, the draconian drug laws, the need to be "Harsh on crime" and so on.

[Beefsquatch]

Prisons are often run by corporations, they make money by incarcerating people. Not only do they get paid by the Government with tax dollars, but they also get to put the inmates to work. If you get a telemarketing call, there is a good chance it's coming from a prison and the person you are talking to is locked up. This makes it so that there is money to be made by locking people up for the most petty of crimes. So the companies in question loby their representatives to be "tough on crime".

That's fucking scary, man. I knew that prisons were often ran by corporations and were a private business so to speak...but I had no idea they made inmates work like that. That's as close to slavery as one can get. Shit like that really rustles my jimmies.

[Deleted]

non violent drug offenders /thread

[GennGreymane]

the u.s also bases a lot of its laws on rare events rather than stats

[ishtachi]

We do have far more population than Europe. We do not have the cradle to grave welfare, thus more want. We have cultures that encourage or at least tolerates violent behavior. Liberal European nations are more likey to use plea to lower the degree of the crime (even if it not deserved, victims life is always cheaper than the murderer), thus lower punishment. Then there is the drug laws, which greatly skews the prison population.

Though I do not know why it matter what amount of population we have in jails. Society as a whole makes the laws, deviants of the society always going to end up in prison for the breaking the laws. Nice way to not end up in prison is not to break the laws. Laws are already known (First time non violent offenders do not get prison)

You sir! Are completely wrong. Europe has FAR FAR more population than U.S.A.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Europe (The population within the standard physical geographical boundaries was 731 million in 2005 according to the United Nations)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demogra..._United_States (As of March 1, 2013, the United States had a total resident population of 315,533,000, making it the third most populous country in the world.)

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

That's fucking scary, man. I knew that prisons were often ran by corporations and were a private business so to speak...but I had no idea they made inmates work like that. That's as close to slavery as one can get. Shit like that really rustles my jimmies.

Most of the equipment used by the US military is made in prisons.

[Åmbulance]

Americans like to commit crimes.

[poser765]

That's fucking scary, man. I knew that prisons were often ran by corporations and were a private business so to speak...but I had no idea they made inmates work like that. That's as close to slavery as one can get. Shit like that really rustles my jimmies.

I'm not positive, but I am relatively certain I am right...Most inmate work programs are voluntary and a reward for good behavior. Even prisoners have rights.

Again, if I am wrong feel free to correct me.

[Åmbulance]

I'm not positive, but I am relatively certain I am right...Most inmate work programs are voluntary and a reward for good behavior. Even prisoners have rights.

Again, if I am wrong feel free to correct me.

Correct and wrong, there are work programs that are based on good behavior, and there are some that are mandatory. Just depends where you are imprisoned would be the best way to find out.

[Dezerte]

I'm not positive, but I am relatively certain I am right...Most inmate work programs are voluntary and a reward for good behavior. Even prisoners have rights.

Again, if I am wrong feel free to correct me.

This is what wiki says:

The 13th Amendment of the American Constitution in 1865 explicitly allows penal labour as it states that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Unconvicted detainees awaiting trial cannot be forced to participate in forced rehabilitative labor programs in prison as it violates the Thirteenth Amendment. However the "convict lease" system became popular in the South in the late 19th century. Since the impoverished state governments could not afford penitentiaries, they leased out prisoners to work at private firms. According to Douglas A. Blackmon, it was Southern policy to intimidate blacks; tens of thousands of African Americans were arbitrarily arrested and leased to coal mines, lumber camps, brickyards, railroads, quarries and farm plantations.^[15] The state governments maximized profits by putting the responsibility on the lessee to provide food, clothing, shelter, and medical care for the prisoners, which resulted in extremely poor conditions, numerous deaths, and perhaps the most inhumane system of labour in the United States.^[16] Reformers abolished convict lease in the Progressive Era, stopping the system in Florida in 1919. The last state to abolish the practice was Alabama in 1927.
In 1934, however, federal prison officials concerned about growing unrest in prisons lobbied to create a work program. Companies got involved again in 1979, when Congress passed a law allowing them to hire prisoners in some circumstances.
Penal labour is sometimes used as a punishment in the U.S. military.^[17] Penal labor is not required in the United States, but refusal to work normally results in the inmate receiving less food, a longer sentence, or other sactions.