From 1980 to 1998, the U.S. went from 0.1% of the population incarcerated (from 1880 to 1980) to 1% in 1998. Violent crime rates began dropping in 1995, and co

From 1980 to 1998, the U.S. went from 0.1% of the population incarcerated (from 1880 to 1980) to 1% in 1998. Violent crime rates began dropping in 1995, and continued dropped since 1998. In On the Run, Alice Goffman reports that, in the neighborhood she was watching, video games helped keep very poor teenage boys and young men away from situations that could culminate in incarceration (or death). It's hard to determine what has caused the drop in crime, as explored in https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/05/how-mobile-phones-could-have-changed-the-drug-game/590503/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/05/how-m... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_St... https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hcsus5084.pdf https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hcsus5084.pdf