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> "given that the US incarcerates 1% of it's population at exhobitant (direct and indirect) cost" Isn't part of the problem there that the US Prison System is

• richmarr 11y ago
  Yep. Poverty and the pathetically ineffective "War on Drugs" put them there, and the prison system's focus on punishment rather than rehabilitation keeps them imprisoned and/or reoffending. Imagine the economic effect of having 1% of the population turned from being a cost-drain to being young healthy tax-payers. The reduced load on policing. The fact that people would be less afraid of crime. Imagine the economic boost if people could interact with their neighbours and build communities without fear. Sure, in reality it wouldn't be as rosy as that, but chances are it'd be a darn sight better than where we are now.
• rhino369 11y ago
  While for profit prison is a pretty dangerous conflict of interest, 94% of prisoners are in public prisons. And even private prisons only profit a few people, and cost the rest of us money. The US doesn't have so many in prison because it's for profit.
• s73v3r 11y ago
  Not everywhere. There are still plenty of state run prisons in the country.