One in 18 people in the US is in prison or being monitored?Why?

1. 61

   akuiglaposted 13 years ago

   One in 18 people in the US is in prison or being monitored?Why?

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2. 61

   smelloftruthposted 13 years ago

   Cost perhaps. Economics always plays part even the intention is to provide better security and service.

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3. 61

   Stump Parrishposted 13 years ago

   The profits being generated housing prisoners and monitoring them is what is driving the rush to build more prisons and to keep them full. When you have people from private prisons helping draft the laws that people obey, and the sentencing guidelines that affect them, you realize that this rediculous percentage will only continue to grow. The crime with the highest number of offenders is non-violent drugf offenses. The least violent and harmful people in our society are the ones that are locked up most frequently. Makes sense when you realize that it is easier and cheaper to monitor peaceful prisoners. Why would any business man want to risk harm to his employees(prison guards). By actively requesting that pot smokers are arrested and convicted this person is able to reduce their insurance deduction based on employee risk factors. Locking up pot smokers makes excellent business sense when you look at it from a cost perspective. Just think how many prison officials would have to give up their second home if the ever released all those non-criminals.

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4. 79

   Wayne Brownposted 13 years ago

   This is a guess on my part but I would venture to say that the statistic you pose is greatly driven by the amount of "sex crimes" in the USA.  If you have ever dealt with a sofware program or app which highlights all of the sex offenders in a give geographical area...the numbers in most neighborhoods will blow you away.  As you read the details on many of these people, they are first time and one time offenders who used poor judgement and had some sexual contact with a minor.  When that happens, these people are marked for a very long time for monitoring if not indefinitely.  The vast majority of these folks are on the street and most are just attempting to get on with life living with the burden of their mistake.  Others may be somewhat dangerous and willing to commit the act again if they are given enough space and the right circumstance. Anyway...that's another discussion. I think this is a very large population within the USA. WB

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   onegoodwomanposted 13 years ago

   Just guessing  here, but perhaps, they were found guilty of committing a crime!
   
   If you are asking why so many commit crimes......I really can't speak for them.

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   Old Empresarioposted 13 years ago

   Probably because everything is illegal. You can't sneeze in front of a cop without being arrested.
   Most of the criminals in prison are there for victimless crimes.

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   Andy the Greatposted 13 years ago

   Mostly drugs and drug law penalties. If we released all people in prison for drug possession, the prison population would AT LEAST be cut in half, probably closer to a quarter when you factor in drug related crimes that aren't just possession.
   
   The same way people refer to mild drugs like marijuana as a "Gateway drug", it's used for policework too. They catch people on a drug charge and use them to gain further information about other crimes. Or they execute a search warrant for drug related crimes and find illegal weapons, or evidence of other more serious crimes. Basically it would be like stopping someone for a busted tail light and finding a bloody corpse in their back seat. The tail light prompts the stop and then you find the murder victim. Drugs are the tail light.

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