• The Real News
The United States of America currently incarcerates the highest percentage of its own citizens when compared to any other country in the world. With it's harsh drug laws, minimum sentencing guidelines and repeated imprisonment of non-violent offenders, the country has literally thrown the shackles on millions of individuals. In fact, the great superpower has more than 2 million of it's citizens imprisoned at this very moment. (some suggest numbers closer to 2.5 million)
U.S. Prison guard unions and private prison corporations
donate large sums of money to politicians and lawmakers to pass legislation
that make misdemeanors felonies and to enhance prison sentences for criminal
offenses, ensuring more prison guards and prisons are needed. More recently,
Thought Crime bills have been proposed or introduced. In May 2010 Obama asked that Congress pass legislation to give the
President power, to incarcerate persons in prison not on evidence, but for what
they might do. That approach could double the prison population as government
could say anyone released from prison is likely to commit another crime.
1 Comments in Response to A flawed system? U.S. boasts highest prison Incarceration Numbers in world.
U.S. Prison guard unions and private prison corporations donate large sums of money to politicians and lawmakers to pass legislation that make misdemeanors felonies and to enhance prison sentences for criminal offenses, ensuring more prison guards and prisons are needed. More recently, Thought Crime bills have been proposed or introduced. In May 2010 Obama asked that Congress pass legislation to give the President power, to incarcerate persons in prison not on evidence, but for what they might do. That approach could double the prison population as government could say anyone released from prison is likely to commit another crime.