"AMERICA leads the world in incarcerations, both in terms of the total number of people it puts inside and in the proportion of its citizens that end up behind bars." Suck it, Russia and China, we still rule!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
24
I think that, despite the temptation to turn this statistic into a damnation of American racism/inequity/overzealous law-enfocement, it is mostly reflective of our surfeit of laws and the myriad jailable offenses they create.
I don't see why it can't reflect both, Smails!
Smails, I just found out you were banned from Gawker, so I am done there now and have moved here.
So you're going Gawlt?
I'm flattered, and I too have disavowed the new gawker.perezhilton.com
Also, a healthy dose of religious persecution means that China and Russia are largely fundamentalist-free.
A minor consolation, I know, and no consolation at all if you're Tibetan.
Didn't we already go down that "yeah, their religious fundamentalists but it's okay because they're being oppressed by COMMUNISTS route once before?" How'd that turn out? Can't China and Tibet both be wrong?
Rainman sez: I once heard something funny about recidivism rates/odds for repeat incarceration - they apparently increase on the same scale that the rates for chronic, "intense" depression rates typically do. After one instance, 50/50 chance you're going to be depressed or jailed again in your life. Two instances, 60/40. Three, 75/25. And I wasn't told what came after three, because I was too pissed off trying to think about what the asshole who came up with those numbers wanted to do with them.
The number would be even higher if we locked up our rapists.
I'm looking at you, Dane Cook fans.
Well duh. You don't have high prisoner numbers if you can just take 'em out back and shoot 'em.
I bet we also have a more diverse population. Coincidence, or correlation?
In Russia, they understand that your typical criminal has skills that shouldn't be wasted.
Americans really like drugs. And America really likes putting people who do drugs in jail. So, yeah.
Oh, and also, private prisons are a big industry, and when those prisons are full of people, someone gets to build even more prisons!
There ya go! If you're out of work, get into the prison business!
Yeah, but they're all innocent in Shawshank. Lawyer fucked 'em.
Not to mention that US prisons don't offer good medical care, proper family visits, or any rehabilitative services to speak of. So you go to jail, lose any family contacts you had, and any vocational skills you have atrophy. But at least you get to come out with muscles and a one way bus ticket. Go America!
"So the Get Out Of Jail Free card... Is that based on a real thing?"
It's based on having lots of money. You get out of jail for free but the card it what costs ya.
Well, not that it would change the balance but from personal experience the Chinese authorities do a lot of the old "incarceration on the spot" if you know what I mean. Less paperwork.
America needs a Siberia. Living at 30 below would make anyone think twice.
Had a great time in jail last summer -- 18 days!
Went because last spring, I was tipsy one night, and when my car wouldn't start, I called AAA, who in turn called a local, notoriously corrupt towing company. The driver kindly called in the cops.
Reporting to serve my time, I admired the dedication plaque on the jail wall, honoring a cousin of mine?
Wow. Proof positive that this country is still the greatest ever!
So exactly what state legislature were you elected to again?