America: The World's Largest Jailer

The United States has more than twenty percent of the world’s prison population, making us the world’s largest jailer. From 1978 to 2014, our prison population has risen 408%. 1 in 110 adults are incarcerated in a prison or local jail in the U.S. This marks the highest rate of imprisonment in American history. 1 in 35 adults are under some form of correctional control, counting prison, jail, parole or probation. In America, our criminal justice system is about keeping communities safe and treating people fairly, regardless of their skin color or how much money they make. In order for our system to do a good job, it must be cost-effective by using our taxpayer money and public resources wisely, while using solid evidence instead of fear. Unfortunately

Instead of using our money to prevent crime we are spending it on petty crime violators. In fact, 46.4% of inmates in US prisons are incarcerated because of non violent drug crimes. Nigel Morris from Independent explains that “Cash being used to build jails to hold the burgeoning prison population (can) be switched into preventing vulnerable people from being caught up in crime in the first place”. Substance-involved people have come to be a large part of the prison population. Treatment delivered in the community is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent crimes committed because of substance abuse. It also cost almost $20,000 less than incarceration per person per year. A study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy found that “every dollar spent on drug treatment in the community yields over $18 in cost savings related to crime. In fact, prisons “only yield $.37 in public safety benefit per dollar spent”. Releasing people to care takers and making treatment available is a cost effective way of reducing drug use, reducing crime associated with drug use and reducing the number of people

A study in Cincinnati found that black drivers had longer stops and higher search rates than white drivers. Minorities frequently report that the police unfairly single them out because of their race or ethnicity. Racial profiling is causing multiple problems in today’s society. Multiple law enforcement agencies have gone through expensive lawsuits over civil rights concerns. The relations between police and citizens in those communities have been full of tension, making policing a lot more difficult than the job already