4 ms·

I live in Louisiana. America has the highest incarceration rate per capita amongst all countries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarcera

I live in Louisiana. America has the highest incarceration rate per capita amongst all countries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarcera... Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_incarceration_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_incarce... Tis truly a messed up place.

acquihelpHN 11y ago
Something doesn't add up. The country list puts the US incarceration rate at 707 per 100k, but the state list gives an average of 478 per 100k including federal, which the highest state not even breaking 700. What gives?
- andrelaszlo 11y ago
  "Jail and federal prison inmates are not included in the state rates."
- jedmeyers 11y ago
  Most likely the country list includes inmates in Federal prisons, which do not technically belong to any state.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
maxerickson 11y ago
Those numbers for the states are based on prisoners under state jurisdiction (excluding county jail in other states), does the parish system potentially factor into Louisiana dealing with a larger percentage of incarcerations at the state level?
- maxerickson 11y ago
  So I compared Orleans Parish to Sedgwick, County Kansas (Wichita is the next larger US city than New Orleans) and Orleans Parish operates a multiple of the number of beds as Sedgwick County, so I guess it isn't a big factor. Hard to control for the different atmosphere in New Orleans though.
yummyfajitas 11y ago
We also have one of the highest crime rates among developed countries. Consider, for example, intentional homicides: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intention... Louisiana has the highest murder rate in the US (double the national average): http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/murder-rates-nationally-and-state#MRord http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/murder-rates-nationally-and-... Any analysis of # of people in jail which ignores the underlying crime rates is deeply flawed.
- gress 11y ago
  it suggests that jail doesn't reduce crime.
- davedx 11y ago
  For the intentional homicides data you linked, the US is at #111, right in the middle. Try again?
  - jfaat 11y ago
    Look at the countries above the US. Very few could be considered developed countries.

acquihelpHN 11y ago

Something doesn't add up. The country list puts the US incarceration rate at 707 per 100k, but the state list gives an average of 478 per 100k including federal, which the highest state not even breaking 700. What gives?

andrelaszlo 11y ago
"Jail and federal prison inmates are not included in the state rates."
jedmeyers 11y ago
Most likely the country list includes inmates in Federal prisons, which do not technically belong to any state.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

maxerickson 11y ago

Those numbers for the states are based on prisoners under state jurisdiction (excluding county jail in other states), does the parish system potentially factor into Louisiana dealing with a larger percentage of incarcerations at the state level?

maxerickson 11y ago
So I compared Orleans Parish to Sedgwick, County Kansas (Wichita is the next larger US city than New Orleans) and Orleans Parish operates a multiple of the number of beds as Sedgwick County, so I guess it isn't a big factor. Hard to control for the different atmosphere in New Orleans though.

yummyfajitas 11y ago

We also have one of the highest crime rates among developed countries. Consider, for example, intentional homicides: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intention... Louisiana has the highest murder rate in the US (double the national average): http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/murder-rates-nationally-and-state#MRord http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/murder-rates-nationally-and-... Any analysis of # of people in jail which ignores the underlying crime rates is deeply flawed.

gress 11y ago
it suggests that jail doesn't reduce crime.
davedx 11y ago
For the intentional homicides data you linked, the US is at #111, right in the middle. Try again?
- jfaat 11y ago
  Look at the countries above the US. Very few could be considered developed countries.