Another reason for low unemployment figures...Everyone's In JAIL!!

Email Print posted by MedfordTim 05/22/2006 01:40:03 PM EST

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This snippet from Democracy Now! sent me to the official gov't page. What I found didn't surprise me a bit...damn it.

1 in 136 U.S. Residents Now in Prison
The country’s prison population has reached almost 2.2 million. One in every 136 U.S. residents is now behind bars. The nation’s prison population increased by more than 1,000 inmates a week last year. New data also shows that 12 percent of African-American men between the ages of 25 and 29 are now incarcerated. That is more than ten times the incarceration rate of white men.

Bolds are mine


During the year that ended last June 30, the nation's prison and jail population grew 2.6 percent, reaching 2,186,230 inmates behind bars, the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. Two thirds were in state or federal prisons (1,438,701) and the other third (747,529) were in local jails.

The 12-month increase of 56,428 prison and jail inmates was the equivalent of 1,085 new inmates every week, the BJS report said. Other report highlights include:


  •  During the period, 10 state systems grew by more than 5 percent, led by Montana (up 7.9 percent), South Dakota (up 7.8 percent), and Minnesota (up 6.7 percent).
  •  Three state systems -- Florida (up 2,812 inmates), Texas (up 2,228), and North Carolina (up 1,482) -- accounted for more than 40 percent of the state growth.
  •  Twelve state systems reported population decreases, including Vermont (down 2.9 percent), Idaho (down 2.8 percent) and New York (down 2.5 percent)
  •  The Federal prison population rose 2.9 percent, reaching 184,484 inmates.

The Census of Jail Inmates, conducted on June 30 of 2005, recorded a 33,539 inmate increase, the largest 12-month growth since 1997.


Women make up an increasing proportion of jail inmates, reaching 12.7 percent of the population in 2005, compared to 10.2 percent in 1995.

At midyear 2005, nearly 6 in 10 offenders in local jails were racial or ethnic minorities, which was nearly unchanged in the last 10 years.

At midyear 2005, nearly 4.7 percent of black males were in prison or jail, compared to 1.9 percent of Hispanic males, and 0.7 percent of white males. Among males in their late 20s, nearly 12 percent of black males, compared to 3.9 percent of Hispanic males and 1.7 percent of white males, were incarcerated.

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The report, "Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2005," can be found at:
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstr act/pjim05.htm

< The Do Nothing Democrats | Old dogs, new tricks >

Poll

Is the main reason jail population has increased so dramatically because...
So many more people are choosing a criminal lifestyle these days 0%
Bush's economic plan is working so well - full Jail employment! 0%
Too many damn laws 0%
Restrictions on Judges via minimum sentencing laws 0%
"Three Strikes And You're In Forever" 0%
People are volunteering for jail because it's safer than Iraq 0%
Halliburton and Bechtel MUST BE FED!! 0%
Who cares? They all DESERVE to be behind bars! 0%

Votes: 0
Results | Other Polls
 Display:
Another reason for low unemployment figures...Everyone's In JAIL!! | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
Viva La Incarceracion! (none / 0)
Are you posting this report because these statistics make you as happy as they make me?

In Texas, we are building jail cells as fast as we possibly can. We have learned a few things about the positive aspects of long prison sentences. While the offender is sitting in jail:

1. He can't pass on his bad genes through procreation.
2. He can't father children that society is responsible for.
3. He can't murder or rape or steal.
4. He can't vote ever again, because he is branded a felon.

We figure that everytime a felon is sent to prison, it eliminates ten future votes for the Democrat Party.

by KenTX on 05/23/2006 01:25:28 AM EST

It was incomplete... (none / 1)
I tried to post a poll with it, but it didn't take.

One comment before the fun...all those "criminals" busy non-procreating, and yet the numbers rise year after year...SOMEBODY must be replenishing the gene pool of 'bad guys.' Just a thought that your comment brought to mind, no big deal.

Now, the Poll That Wouldn't Take:

Is the main reason jail population has increased so dramatically because...


So many more people are choosing a criminal lifestyle these days

Bush's economic plan is working so well - full Jail employment!

Too many damn laws

Restrictions on Judges via minimum sentencing laws

"Three Strikes And You're In Forever"

People are volunteering for jail because it's safer than Iraq

Halliburton and Bechtel MUST BE FED!!

Who cares? They all DESERVE to be behind bars!

by MedfordTim on 05/23/2006 01:51:32 AM EST

[ Parent ]
More prison facts (none / 0)
Crime rates are down but more people are going to prison?

In 2004, 61% of prison and jail inmates were of racial or ethnic minorities, the government said.
I think the number was 45% of the prison population was black. Is this because blacks are more likely to be arrested? Are they more likely to be convicted? Does poverty begat more poverty and poverty causes crime?
Whatever the reason it is a disturbing statistic.

The US has the highest % in the world. Is crime under reported elsewhere or law enforcement isn't as good. Do we have too many laws. Are the penalties much stricter in some countries so crime is less?

by eeyore1954 on 05/23/2006 06:26:49 AM EST

[ Parent ]
The Fist of Tyranny (none / 0)
600,000 people arrested last year for smoking pot, this is the fist of tyranny.

The war on drugs is a war on you and your civil liberties, and a race war on African-Americans, this is the fist of tyranny.

The highest incarceration rate in the world is here in the United States, where there are now more prisoners than there are farmers, this is the fist of tyranny.

--Mark Dunau
Read "The Fist of Tyranny."

by river96b on 05/23/2006 07:45:14 AM EST

30% (none / 0)
30% of our prison population is illegal immigrants and it's gorwing faster than Ted Kennedy can propose guest voter programs.

by acroso on 06/11/2006 06:14:53 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Another reason for low unemployment figures...Everyone's In JAIL!! | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
 Display: