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The US has the highest per-capita incarceration rate in the world [1]. US: 655/100k UK: 135/100K China: 121/100K Germany: 77/100K Iceland: 37/100K It feel

The US has the highest per-capita incarceration rate in the world [1]. US: 655/100k UK: 135/100K China: 121/100K Germany: 77/100K Iceland: 37/100K It feels like we are consuming just a little too much of the "security" product. Maybe we should try consuming the "justice" product. I hear it's pretty good. [1] https://www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison_population_rate?field_region_taxonomy_tid=All https://www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison_popul...

Zecar 6y ago
Every one of those countries has a high level of social cohesion that is not present in the USA. Don't you think that would be a huge factor?
SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
I agree, but the question is how to get from here to there. Releasing all the nonviolent drug addicts - which we certainly should do! - still doesn't get us close to those other countries.
- MiroF 6y ago
  The problem with the drug war is imprisoning dealers, not addicts - and if we released them it would get us much closer to those other countries.
- danenania 6y ago
  By the numbers, our best bet is probably revamping the prison system to focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment, and then drastically reducing the length of sentences. Our goal should be to get someone as close as possible to 0 chance of recidivism in as short a time as possible.
  - close04 6y ago
    Education is usually another good place to start. Educated people tend to make more informed choices, and informed choices tend to shape better futures.
- coopsmgoops 6y ago
  Stop basing the sentencing on baseball would also be a good move.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
pinkfoot 6y ago
What's the right ratio?
JoeAltmaier 6y ago
Americans are a little different from many other peoples. Every one of us has a chip on their shoulder. I'd expect it to be different, in a country with a docile population. Here's a picture and discussion that highlights this: https://smart-online-marketing.nl/en/conversion/cultural-differences-consumer-behavior-worldwide/ https://smart-online-marketing.nl/en/conversion/cultural-dif...
- MiroF 6y ago
  It be kinda nice to see an article that cites the "research" it mentions rather than just providing a nice color coded graph of the world where "you can see how every country on the world scores on individualism, from light-green to dark-green. Light-green means a low score on individualism, in other words, strongly collectivist. Dark-green countries are strongly individualist."
  - JoeAltmaier 6y ago
    Feel free to link
surfmike 6y ago
Our crime rate is probably 4x higher than developed European countries, so we could still use more of the security product. It’s not clear that they’re mutually exclusive anyway—you can push efforts to improve justice while improving policing.

Zecar 6y ago

Every one of those countries has a high level of social cohesion that is not present in the USA. Don't you think that would be a huge factor?

SpicyLemonZest 6y ago

I agree, but the question is how to get from here to there. Releasing all the nonviolent drug addicts - which we certainly should do! - still doesn't get us close to those other countries.

MiroF 6y ago
The problem with the drug war is imprisoning dealers, not addicts - and if we released them it would get us much closer to those other countries.
danenania 6y ago
By the numbers, our best bet is probably revamping the prison system to focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment, and then drastically reducing the length of sentences. Our goal should be to get someone as close as possible to 0 chance of recidivism in as short a time as possible.
- close04 6y ago
  Education is usually another good place to start. Educated people tend to make more informed choices, and informed choices tend to shape better futures.
coopsmgoops 6y ago
Stop basing the sentencing on baseball would also be a good move.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

pinkfoot 6y ago

What's the right ratio?

JoeAltmaier 6y ago

Americans are a little different from many other peoples. Every one of us has a chip on their shoulder. I'd expect it to be different, in a country with a docile population. Here's a picture and discussion that highlights this: https://smart-online-marketing.nl/en/conversion/cultural-differences-consumer-behavior-worldwide/ https://smart-online-marketing.nl/en/conversion/cultural-dif...

MiroF 6y ago
It be kinda nice to see an article that cites the "research" it mentions rather than just providing a nice color coded graph of the world where "you can see how every country on the world scores on individualism, from light-green to dark-green. Light-green means a low score on individualism, in other words, strongly collectivist. Dark-green countries are strongly individualist."
- JoeAltmaier 6y ago
  Feel free to link

surfmike 6y ago

Our crime rate is probably 4x higher than developed European countries, so we could still use more of the security product. It’s not clear that they’re mutually exclusive anyway—you can push efforts to improve justice while improving policing.