Pubdate: Tue, 19 Dec 2006
Source: Sunday Gazette-Mail (WV)
Copyright: 2006, Sunday Gazette-Mail
Contact:  http://sundaygazettemail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1404

LOCK 'EM UP

America the Stockade

THE International Center for Prison Studies, part of  King's College 
in London, has published a new study of  prisoners in various countries.

China, the world's most populous nation with nearly 1.3  billion 
residents, has 1,548,498 people in cells,  putting it second on the 
worldwide list.

America, with 300 million people, has 2,186,230 locked  up -- ranking 
first by a wide margin.

Other nations in the top 10 of jail populations are:  Russia, 
869,814; Brazil, 361,402; India, 332,112;  Mexico, 214,450; Ukraine, 
165,716; Thailand, 164,443;  South Africa, 157,402; and Iran 147,926.

The number of people in U.S. prisons exceeds the  population of 15 
different states, the King's College  study points out. America's 
incarceration rate is 737  people for every 100,000 residents. Russia 
is second  with 611.

The study quotes Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy  Alliance: "The 
United States has 5 percent of the  world's population and 25 percent 
of the world's  incarcerated population." That's a disgrace to America.

The percentage of black Americans in jail is higher  than the ratio 
of black South Africans confined under  apartheid, the King's College 
report notes. America  incarcerates more people for drug offenses 
than all  Western Europe countries jail for all offenses,  Nadelmann 
points out. And Europe has much larger  population.

Altogether, about 7 million Americans today are in  jail, on 
probation or on parole.

Why is America the world's biggest stockade, locking  vastly more 
people in cells? Is it because Americans  are inherently more 
criminal than citizens of other  countries? Of course not. It's 
because America has a  harsh punishment mentality, probably inherited 
from  Puritan ancestors.

America's honor is stained by this dismal reality.
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