Pubdate: Wed, 04 May 2005 Source: Denver Post (CO) Copyright: 2005 The Denver Post Corp Contact: http://www.denverpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122 Author: Kirk Muse Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05.n722.a05.html COPING WITH U. S. PRISON POPULATION Re: "U.S. jails, prisons overflowing," May 3 editorial. Primarily because of our drug-war policies, the United States has been transformed into the most incarcerated nation in the history of human civilization. Even though we in the U.S. have less than 5 percent of the world's population, we have more than 25 percent of the world's prisoners. This deserves our shame and outrage. Our friends and foes around the world alike now know that the U.S. leads the world in the number of prisoners and the percentage of our citizens who are locked up. What message does this send to the rest of the world? Kirk Muse Mesa, Ariz. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin