Imprisonment: ca 150 per 100K pop in 1980 -> ca 475 per in 2000

[Mairead]

USA: the Prison State

[tom_paine]

1. Isn't that interesting

How it all started with Raygun...

Though I'm sure it's just a coincidence...

[DieboldMustDie]

2. Hey! The prison business is very profitable.

:mad:

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. It's an investor favorite! As those numbers go up, up up, so do the

bottom lines of American investors!

[Burma Jones]

3. Here's the Crime Rate Chart

Crime rates are down, but there are many more reasons for that than the incarceration rate

[w4rma]

5. Because of the drug "war". (n/t)

[pacifictiger]

6. and dissolution

of state run mental hospitals

[MidwestTransplant]

7. That's just sick

[pacifictiger]

8. I dont mean it to be a

sick statement. More that it is sad commentary that the mentally ill now get imprisoned rather than getting the medical help they need.

[MidwestTransplant]

10. No!

I meant that so many people are in prison is sick!

Nothing against you :)

[scottxyz]

9. Very creepy

Small towns that can't get a Wal-Mart get a prison - and people's lives get ruined (usually for doing some drugs).

[pacifictiger]

11. didn't you know

that some prisons are now for profit businesses too?

[struggle4progress]

12. Voting Issue Too

Throw poor folks in jail for crimes rich kids get away with -- and get them off the voting rolls.