It says we are becoming a Fascist state.
We can thank the failed “War On Drugs” for this situation. Lay off the people who prefer to smoke pot instead of drink and watch that number drop!

It simply comes down to Americans not having the same morals and character that we used to. In todays society the popular thing to do is behaving in unethical and inappropriate ways. It is sad to see a country that was built on the founding principles of trying to be outstanding individuals to become what it now is.

It says that we need more crimes to qualify for the death penalty. We should not be providing room and board for people who are violent to other people. Then go after their parents….

Obviously the system isn’t working, and either the people’s sense of morality is being corrupted, or the punishments are not severe/effective enough.

Working in Federal corrections, what I see as a very large problem. To many people doing time for minor things, where there should just be fines.AUSAs looking to make names for themselves by getting harsh sentences for minor things, ex. fining Martha Stewart would have been enough, not wasting tax payers money to jail her.

I have to say that those are scary numbers. We are going to become one of those bad, out of control, ruined countries that you see in the movies. Our founding fathers would be so ashamed of what we have become. We have abandoned the fundamental values that this country was built on. Life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Read the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. He knew what he was talking about.

It shows you what happens when people aren’t allowed to have sovereignty over there own body. Its not right when we leave in a free society but cannot choose what we put in our own bodies. Let people use the substances they want, with proper addiction treatment, and made avaliable like alcohol.

For a definitive curmudgeon you are a really nice smiles guy, but remove the smiley photo it spoils your image, softy!

1 in 31 simply means, that’s how states all over the country cash in on Federal funds, how would they pay for their yachts and their girl friends expensive houses and cars.

Hm, let me see. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that there is something wrong with the way we handle inappropriate behavior in our society. Another bullet point on the argument for working on the cause of the problem. The old solution of just throwing them in jail has finally hit a wall. Too bad they didn’t look at the mental health system as a model. Years ago it was discovered that just locking people away wasn’t the answer.

That and we are not letting states execute so many people anymore, you know, that whole “innocence” thing.

It means that this governmnt is paying way too much attention to what is occuring outside the U.S and not nearly enough to what is going on inside the U.S. We should be spending more money on the well-being of the American people but alas, way too much much is being thrown down the toilet overseas on a war that should never have occured in the first place. Shame on us!

This statistic says that man is a product of his environment. And so becomes violent as a result of the current political state. When every facet of the constitution which inherently protects the rights of man has been basterdized by this current administration it is then only natural to see man himself becoming restless and so driven to rebel. We can only lead by example and when our own governement has become so saturated in crime and deceit why then should they be shocked to see a nation then reciprocates there actions. The only difference is when the everyday man commits crime he is punished.

Oh, and Jack. Unless your smile is genuine, I wouldn’t even bother. Nice try though.

Education…the inner city has suffered through crime, disease, and go uncared for by the federal government. People who are raised in a bad home, grow up creating bad homes. While I don’t believe the Federal governement should get directly involved with education, they should coax States to get involved…i went to district 215 and 211 in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. Money given by taxpayers went to a new, unneeded stadium and hundreds of flat screen computers….someone tell me how a student will learn more on a shiny new computer!!?!? This money should be going to the teachers and to the community to make sure our children stay off the streets and are raised to uphold the law…the only way the Federal government needs to get involved is to monitor the States’ school spending and make sure it’s going to the good working people and not to IBM, or some construction company who prolly hires illegal immigrants…

Re: 1:31 incarcerated.

If we could catch all the bad people in the United Stated and put them in jail (not that we have the space) you would likely see an astounding 20% of the adult population behind bars. Government statistics available on the web site report that we experience 17,000 murders in the U.S. each year (it goes up each year). The number of ‘other’ violent crimes (rape, aggravated assult, etc) in the United States, is staggering. Have a look for yourself. Go to: http://www.usa.gov and click on Criminal Justice System. Makes me wonder what all the fuss is about with terrorists when more people are murdered each year in the U.S.A. by Americans than by terrorists. Let’s spend $80 Billion on crime in america and forget about Iraq.

Tom

Jack,

When one has to get a job, all sorts of questions are asked on the criminal history and those who answers “yes” on any one of it, surely are not considered for that or any position. By alienating them from society, are we not pushing them back into the criminal world that they were once part of. Society need to change the attitude towards this issue. Government need to create more porgram where they can suitabily employ convits who are out of jail after serving the time, and help them settle in the society. Measures to regulate them while they are mingling with society can be employed.

There are some simple truth’s. If we spent our time and money here to create jobs, control immigration sensibly, stop catering to corporate America and reform trade, we would find ourselves in a position of having to layoff police, judges, probation officers and prison guards. As far as the prison population goes, it should be reformed into working prisons. Work for better food, TV, Gym time etc.
What they produce in these prisons go directly back into the budget. If you want it done it can be done. Our goverment doesn’t want it done or their jobs are on the line. THE SIMPLE TRUTH!

With 1 in every 31 adults in the United States in Prison, It can mean only one thing. Our nations spending priorities are totally backwards. The fact that our leaders spend more on prisons than college, shows how crazy things are getting.

Jack, it means that we have focused all of our attention to a wasted war in Iraq and forgotten that charity begins at home.

Tells me a lot of people commit crimes in the United States and that there will always be a need for law enforcement. Not a bad carrier field if you don’t mind being shot at spit on and wasting half your life standing around waiting for court to start. Jack out of those 31 people very few of them have seen the inside of Jail for the first time. Most are repeat offenders and habitual violators. That means they have done many crimes to get where they are and if a greater deterrent were out there like life in prison if you steal or burglarize once instead of probation fewer people would be in jail. The middle east might have something with the chopping off of your hand if you steal and cutting your tongue out if you lie. A lot fewer people would run for public office.

Jack.
What we are seeing here is the result of what corporations have done to bussiness in America over the last 30 years.
Static wages, health costs, poor education, job outsoursing, low intersts on savings, I could go on and on.
Too many people are in dire straits and need real help and soon. God forbid if the masses get outraged enough, if that happens, this administration could potentially be looking at another war, it’s called the second Civil war.

Wow… If a big part of this number is actually attributed to returning inmates into the system and our society remains uninterested in appropriate rehabilitation
of these individuals, then there is a very unattractive, yet effective alternative.
The Singapore alternative, not that they don’t invest in rehabilitation, but they do take their violent criminal to the caning room just after arrival. Some of the inmates caning stroke numbers ordered at their sentencing are saved for their departure…reminding them on their way out, what is waiting for them if they return. There are no longer ‘thugs and bullies’ to be found in Sinapore, as we seem to have an abundace of here. I was told they can do the time, but not the caning. The primary problem with this senario is that in the US, we don’ t seem to have the best record convicting the actual perpetrator of the crime… and an innocent person in prison should not also have to go thru such a hanus penalty.

Just goes to show you that we are still the land of the free!

That’s about 1 person in an average class room. Have you seen our schools lately? Why is only 1 in 31 people in jail? Now I’m scared.

There are lots and lots of drug related charges, which might not be a prison-type crime in other countries.

It says that not everyone gets away with serious crimes like the Bush and Cheney Gang.

1 in 31 people in jails or prisons says the following about this country…the war on drugs is a complete failure. Instead of imprisoning someone for a minor drug offense we should work on rehabilitating them.

Jack: It means that 30 people haven’t been caught yet.

Jack,

It clearly means that just too many things are against the law in this nation. Too many laws on the books in the United States Code, too many laws on the books in the States’ legal code, too many laws at the County level, too many laws at the City level.

This is supposed to be a land of Liberty. Why do we think we need all of these laws?

Why 1/3rd of Americans are either in prison, in jail, or under court supervision? Simply because American laws are broken.

This said, the prison system is good and cozy that more people would rather check in and do it more oftenly.

Just a few word, “VALUES” and the self motivating desire to do good and be an example for all. This apparently is not a “good thing” anymore!

Jack,

It means I’m not as cynical and pessimistic as I often get accused of when I say long and loud that this country is going down the toilet and fast. It’s no longer your Dad’s, GrandDad’s, or even OUR generation’s America anymore. I feel so bad for kids today. Their future is really bleak here in this New American “melting pot.” Maybe “chamber pot” would be a better description!

I believe that those numbers represent what the American society is going through these days. One in 31 adults behind bars is not something to be proud of, I think that at the moment the best thing we can hope for is for this rate to stay still,

This means that for our current system to work, Each non-inmate pays a little over 800$ per inmate a year. Why would we all want to pay 800$a year to keep people in jail? And that’s on top of all of our other taxes!

It shows that the prison system in america is too soft on criminals, i’ve lived in nigeria before, and you wouldnt want to get locked up in their prison for 5mins, thats what punishment is all about, so the prison system here in america should be tougher in criminals, and that will stop people from commiting thesame crime over and over. and i also notice the data only pointed to the number of african-americans in jail, and women, i think thats bias, what about white, dont they commit crimes, i think its more reasonable to provide a balanced data, instead on focusing on one race.

‘Land of the Free?’

Nah …

More like ‘Home of the Incarcerated’ …

It means we need to legalize drugs, especially marijuana.

Jack, I wish I could blame this one on Bush too, and he is probably somehow indirectly responsible. Everything else that is screwed up about the U.S. these days seems to eminate from the Cowboy in the White House. But this one? As a teacher, I have to be honest: It is because of the breakdown and destruction of the American Family. I see it every day, and it is sad.

How many of those inmates are in for drug related charges? The “war on drugs” which is really a war against citizens puts hundreds of thousands of people behind bars per year. Do we really need to spend that much money to keep a “dangerous” hippy behind bars?

1 in 31 is clear and irrefutable proof of a failed strategy (on so many fronts, it’s impossible to list in a comment section here), no matter how it’s otherwise spun.

I don’t think that the numbers are fair. Once you remove the members of
Congress and the Senate, their lobbyists, and members of the Bush Administration, the numbers are actually pretty low. Maybe President Bush will take ‘care of’ the other prisoners like Scooter. Their sentences are probably too harsh.

It means our criminal justice system is heavy on the criminal, and light on the justice. What we have is a prison industrial complex that wastes tax dollars and is based on profit and greed rather than rehabilitation. We imprison more people than any other country including China. We should be ashamed.

Jack

Does that figure include the crooks that are running our government in Washington??

In response to your question about the criminology statistics cited: these statistics indicate that the social and cultural constructs in modern America are failing its people. This capitalist society is killing it’s people and the modern Republican Party is leading the charge — someone needs to foment a revolution!

A criminal rate of about 3.2 percent (1 of 31) sounds about right to me. I wouldn’t be suprised if the worlds criminal rate was much higher. Wording is everything & Cafferty is king of the loaded question. We love him for that!

LIke it or not, when our courts made “religious” subjects such as ethics, morality, and honesty out of bounds in our schools, our society took a nose dive. We need to wake up and realize that these are subjects just as important as math, science, history,…, unless you’re planning on becoming a politician!

You got it right. The prison industry is huge and that’s a problem. Just like every other money making company in the US, the prison system and those companies that supply goods or services to it have huge lobbying power. Stupid things we did as kids are now cause for time in prison. Once you’ve been to prison the stigma holds you back. No one will hire you on the books. And kids younger and younger are going to prison and being adjudicated as adults. How do you grow up in prison and then lead a “normal” life? You don’t. Generations of our people will be lost.

Shame on our legislators for letting this happen to our citizens.

Jack, it means we have TOO DAMN MANY LAWS!

Look, our country has more people in jail then any other! What does that tell you? If you think it’s just because we have bad people in this country, well then you’re stupid. Remember, our government puts people in jail, We have too big of government, the police have way too much control and they flex their power way too much. They feel that just because they where a bage that they can do what they feel (like beat up a 15 year old black girl) . I’m sorry but I’m ashamed of this country, open up your minds people, My wife is Japanese, you know it helps to expand your mind and look at other countries and see the way they handle things! Oh, just because America does it this way, we’re right? We need change in this Country, the war on drugs has contributed a lot to this problem, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my tax money going towrds someone who smoked a joint and never hurt anyone. Keep people in who have commited true hard criminal acts that hurt others.

Private outsourced prisons are a huge part of the economy especially in rural southern towns. They provide jobs for local citizens and profits for investors. You can’t have such prisons without prisoners. So the local government and state legislatures oblige by passing draconian 3-strikes and mandatory minimum laws to maintain a steady prison business. In particular, these local governments and investors are likely to be Bush voting “conservatives” while those incarcerated are blacks and poor whites. It is really a new form of sharecropping. We should all be ashamed.

Some people here have mentioned that many innocent people end up behind bars because they were sentenced for someone else’s crime. That is very prevalent, and we obviously need to do a more thorough job in terms of convicting the right person. Furthermore, I believe that stiffer punishment should be applied to all forms of crime. I believe that would be beneficial to the whole system because it would effectively discourage crime everywhere in the country. Besides, the law is there for a reason and it is there for everyone’s safety. Why shouldn’t we apply stricter punishment to the people who wish to undermine the foundation of the United States?

This shows that some of the laws in the country are corrupt or our laws are unnecessary in a country that allows people to do what they want in their homes, at least that how it should be. The sentencing for even some of the lesser crimes that we can commit can carry a person possibly 10 years, and if a convicted felon lucky that seems to be the best he can hope, or the best she can hope for. You also have to look at the fact that many of the inmates in this country are from large cities and sometimes families just barely survive on two incomes, so that means people have to resort to breaking the law in order to survive. Has this country ever thought about the opinion that maybe the worst thing in society is not drugs or assults or robberies but the fact that not enough of our hard-earned money is given back to us, so we have to resort to crimes?

This is what happens when privatization creeps into something, it gets out of hand. Our prisons are some of the biggest businesses in many states. That and the fact that we use prison to warehouse the mentally ill now. The mentally ill that use to get treatment, now they just get detainment.

Hi

this means that the government needs to focus where the real problem is: HERE and not 6000+ miles away from here. Bring the troops back home!

The reason this is happening is because all of our jobs are being outsourced. You cannot make a decent living here, even with a higher degree.

When you have 45,000 applicants applying for 20 open jobs, that tells you that everything you need to know. We need to get those jobs back in the US, pay the people well, and give them back their benefits. This is only going to continue to happen. We need to be like Harley Davidson and sell a Americana overseas.

Here in Chicago, a one bedroom apartment is going for $2000.00 in a decent neighborhood. How can you afford that on $12.00 an hour.

Signed,
Concerned.

I wonder what crime all these people comitted. Are they murderous thugs who ought to be there, rapists, thieves, or are they non violent drug offenders?
Can all those people really need to be in prison?

When I was a kid everyone thought there was too much crime. In response, mandatory minimum sentences and “three strikes” laws were passed. Now the number of people incarcerated is the problem. Personally, I like the new problem a lot better than the old one.

How many of that number are jailed illegal immigrants?

when 1/31 adults are under the criminal justice system, it just reveals the moral state of the US population. The US is losing its sense or morality. Also we need to focus on prevention programs and must not be so quick to install harsher penalties. Criminals mostly commit crimes because they feel the need to. We need to work on decreasing those feelings of “need to commit crimes”. THANKS JACK.

Idris from Milwaukee,WI

Jack,

I think it means two things. First, I think many whiny Americans have succeeded in making every little thing punishable by law–such as looking at a woman and making her feel uncomfortable or taking pictures of your infant taking a bath. Secondly, I believe Americans are too stressed to behave. The economy is going down and we are all tired and overworked. We are breeding criminals by exposing our citizens to higher prices, fewer job advancements, and poor health coverage (if they have any at all).

Well Jack, it shows that the United States Justice System does not truly address the issues behind crime. Finding out the systematic causes of crime and taking steps to solve them would put a lot of people out of a job at the “expense” of increasing the standard of living across the nation. Let’s be honest here, upper class lawyers would hate to give up their choke hold of the common man’s dollar in the name of “justice.”

American Spirit is being crushed subdued at every chance seems logical to me that “Americans” are particularly sensetive to this as we lose more and more Liberty’s and freedoms were subdued more and more people react in a couple ways, Either Lash out violently against the system or become Depressed both in either case are a result of the Human Spirit being crushed. There fore it seems logical that 1-35 in prison and 20 million on Antidepressents. Time for a change before this country tears itself apart.

What this indicates is that serious reform in our justice system is desperately needed. The failed “War on Drugs”, and profiling in our country have led to a large disparity in the numbers of minorities winding up in our prison system. What is most disturbing is that research shows that minorities actually have a decreased propensity for certain crimes of which they are jailed most often for. A large portion of the overall prison population is non-violent offenders, and victims of this failed policy on targeting possible small-scale drug offenders. Yet our borders are still wide open to the large scale cartels that bring the drugs here. Common, Washington…….sounds like “fuzzy math”. These people in D.C. seemingly never get their priorities straight.

I think it says our justice system is broken. Not enough people are getting help, sentences for petty crimes are too harsh and the system is lopsided when it comes to drug crimes; particularly crack cocaine. The recidivism rates for most crimes are low. Keep the rapists, pedophiles serial killers, serial drug dealers, armed robbers and burglars in jail; they are the ones who are going to re-offend….let the rest go, help them find a job, and thereby precipitously reduce the taxpayers burden.

Paul
Rochester Pa

Well i can tell you why the number of citizens under court supervision has increased, most states are handing out drinking and driving tickets like fancy business cards. I don’t believe it’s right but these states have turned it into their biggest source of revenue, and making it next to impossible to license back, therefore keeping citizens in their back pocket by arresting them for driving on a suspended license and increasing their time on probation and not able to drive legally.

There are no easy solutions for this problem obviously, but the first thing Americans should do is start thinking about their people first: jobs for Americans, health care for all Americans, more social programs to help the poor rise out of their desperate situation. A proud, working dad has a much higher chance of staying out of prison.
Billions for useless wars does not help.

Oh, and if you think prison helps us, well think again. Everyone who comes out of prison comes out harder and more angry. Trust me, I know people who’ve been there, but that shouldn’t be a suprise if 1 in 31 adults have been to prison…

I think this is indicative of not only a problem with out economy, being that if so many people are becoming criminals in order to survive. But Also a problem with the system. Police are just as (if not more) corrupt than our politicians and governemnts, we need to start watching the police more closely. I feel that innocent people are being harassed and incarcerated for minimal crimes, when the real criminals and illegal immigrants are the ones who need to be removed from society.
If the illegal immigrants (who take jobs from our legitimate citizens by working for pennies, thus destroying our economy) are removed from the equation, then there will be more jobs available for the people struggling to survive in this country, and less people will be forced to commit crimes and be deemed “criminals” thus lowering the the populations of our jails and prisons.

It means that the debt system wasn’t keepeng enough people in line. I’d like to see the total number of people living with negative net worth plus those 1/31 and those with warrants expressed as a percent of the total population. I bet the number would almost perfectly match the number of people at or below poverty.

It means America needs to stand up and turn around. We can’t blame our failures on government, we can only blame ourselves. What have we done to take back our communities? What have we done to take back our neighborhoods? What have we done to take back our families? If we continue to allow ourselves to be complacent we will fall. Evil prevails when good men do nothing to stop it. We need to wake up America and get active in bringing change to our lives, families, and neighborhoods in order to change this horrible situation.

MY father - a very good lawyer - once told me that the Bill of Rights wasn’t written to protect the “Good Citizen”; America was founded by people on the fringes of mainsteam society; real radicals. Now there are too many “crimes” and “cruel & unusual punishments” for those on the edges of “civil” society.

We are a nation founded in the ideals of Liberty and Freedom, but those ideals have been lost - as Ben Franklin warned - in the pursuit of security and comfort. Freedom for ALL was our original ideal; now we severely punish the poor and uneducated (rather than seek to change those conditions) to make the more affluent voters - and campaign supporters - feel safer.

Thus we have the statistic in question!

Why are there so many American citizens in jail? Are you kidding? In the Land of the Free, everything is a crime. We arrest cancer patients for using medical marijuana in states where it is legal. You can go to jail for “choosing” not to vaccinating your own child. And, now the government is trying to outlaw salt. With all this legislation, is it any wonder our government is just building a fence at the border to lock us all in? We’re all criminals! (Except Bush, of course – yea right!)

For $25,000 a year I would be happy to lock a pothead in my walk in closet. Then I could afford the tuition that the government doesn’t have the money to help me with.

Jack, When 1 out of 31 adults in the US are either behind bars or under court supervision it says the number is much higher because they haven’t caught them all. If they have trouble locating some of them I suggest they look no further than those who have been running this country. That includes the Congress and the rest of the government at all levels.

Call it Prohibition: the Sequel. Vast numbers of people in prison or on probation are non-violent offenders convicted of private drug use and are not a threat to society. After spending time with the violent offenders who belong in prison, and being unable to find a job with a criminal record, they may just become violent offenders.

We need someone to work the prisons or else the number would be higher.. A lot of the laws need to be scraped and just enforce those that hurt someone besides themselves

We are locking up too many people. When we lock them up, we make it too pleasant an experience.

Public prisoner work details ad serious hard time might make prison seem something to avoid.

Millions of jobs have been shipped to China, India, Latin America and millions of invading illegals take jobs from Americans, particularly among construction companies. The administrations lie…just one of many…that unemployment is down is really the number of unemployment checks issued and does not consider those who no longer get checks. One of the consequences of a destroyed middle class, the ultimate goal of this government, is a higher crime rate. Its not rocket science.

Jack
San Antonio

For too long politicians have been afraid of being “Soft On Crime.” What we have now are a bunch of politicians who have become “Stupid on Crime.”

Jack, I think it means that this country is failing in all areas. The education system is way behind other countries, the standard of living is a laugh, the econony, stock market, housing, health care issues, etc. are ignored by the powers to be in Washington. Our families don’t stand a chance to better themselves. We have a leader who is clueless and could care less about the lack of respect that America has loss across the world.
Doris
New York

We let kids get away with things no one would ever think of when we were their age.(50′ish here)…we arrest people for pot..GOOD GOD and no, i never inhaled. I work with many ethnic people, and they seem to be far more polite, reserved and respectful than we Americans are. We have lost something thru the years.

It shows how much more we need to focus on inside national borders issues, and less on giving amnesty to illegal aliens. most drug dealers do their work cross borders via poor security on our side of the invisible unmarked line. YET WE ASK WHY CRIME IS ON HIGH.

So Jack Samatha is screening your mail ? Is she here legal? Does she have a green card? PHd or Master’s? you let the cat out of the bag now.
Jack the problem is that when you and I were growing up we had to work for what we wanted. Now they think it should be given to them. We got our butts slapped, now it is child abruse. Our teachers kept us in line so we could learn in school. Now their hands are tied. The Goverment is trying to raise the child now and we know what a mess they make of everything.

It means far too many citizens are being incarcerated for nonviolent crimes. It means the prison system is big business for if it wasn’t, it would have been shut down like most businesses that lose money.

It also means that we need to find some way to employ a large number of these people once they are released so that they want be repeat offenders just because they can’t find jobs. At least they get 3 meals a day while incarcerated.

Refusing people employment for something that want affect a company’s day to day business is just plain stupid.

In Milwaukee in the 80s, they proved that city crime increased proportionate to the loss of family supporting manufacturing jobs. Therefore we should consider job loss a public safety issue. It makes one wonder where we’ll be 10 years from now at the rate we’re offshoring.

The country has experienced a tremendous growth in crime. I live in Orlando, Florida and have noticed that ever since this country has gone to war with Iraq crime has been on the rise. I really believe that people are desensitized in part as a result of this senseless war. Many people know a soldier who has been maimed or died as a result of this war. I really believe that our government needs to set the example first! We also have a problem with illegal immigrants crossing our borders and they need to survive somehow. In many cases they commit petty crimes in order to survive. I am hispanic and American and I have no problem with legal immigration. Funny! I know a hispanic American that was locked up in Mexico for spending 3 days in that country without a Visa or Passport. Our government also needs to secure our borders and ship the illegals back! Bottom Line! Our administration is failing us! I hope people think about this during the next election!

It is a sad commentary about how our nation has lost its ability to teach values. Our society and particularly our schools are complacent about responsibility and citizenship. Thus, our prisons and jails grow more and more because we’d rather just throw those people away who do not appreciate our nation and are allowed to get away with bad behavior until it’s too late. It’s not the total solution, but a significant step in reversing this trend is to restore our public schools so that we instill a pride in our nation and teach values and ethics.

I would like to see all the criminals released like we did in Iraq. What we are doing over there is working so well. Free them all so they can stimulate the economy. What they steal will have to be replaced, the sale of guns will increase, crime is almost as vital to the economy as war is.

When will The Decider and his cronies finally get around to renaming the USA, the new and “un”kinder version of the old USSR? With Wiretaps, No knock warrants, cameras on every corner and bedroom- if they have done this this stuff to TRACK 7million citizens why havent they used it to track and find illegal aliens involved in gangs and illegal drug trade already in this same system that have violated our laws? What a crock this Homeland Security. These clowns and their assinine bogus creation of National Security will never feel secure until every single American is under house arrest.

dear Jack
Your question is a very good one but if you think about how a DA runs for office he allways mentions a 98% conviction rate, I know of a person whom was accused of stealing $36000.00 in quarters, that is 1500 pounds of quarters that she supposiddly stole. She was forced into a plea bargain after loosing everything she owned was held on probation for 10 years and had to pay back $72000.00 by the time it was all over. Now she again is accused of a theft while she was working for 7-11 and came back from vacation her disttrict manager was gone, whom told her to go on her planned vacation. Since she had a previous Plea bargain 20 years ago she was charged with the theft but never notified. Jack first whom could get rid of 1500 pounds of quarter except the people I know stole the money which was Wells Fargo and United Bank this occured in 1986 in Colorado Springs CO.
So jack my point is do you believe that 98% of all arrests are guilty? So for a DA to run on a platform of 98%conviction rate, tells me and any saine person that too many innocent people are forced into plea bargains when they are infact innocent. Our legal System does not support Justice it only serves as a money maker to make our sham of a legal system a very profitable business for attorney’s and Judges etc etc etc.

The United States has more people per capita behind bars than any other country on the planet, dwarfing #2 by 3 or 4 times - almost half incarcerated for drugs. Either the United States has a high criminal population in its mists, or there are just too many stupid laws on the books. Vote for Dodd and free the marijuana smokers.

Jack, this is just a natural outcome of a country first populated by criminals. Gentlement could not handle the rigors of eastern winters, or the push west. It wasn’t for sissys. So, England sent the criminals/heretics here. People who had nothing to lose came here; including those religious maniacks in power now. So, here we are still suffering from that mentality. Politicians think the same way. Just say what people want to hear, and then do what you and your business affiliates really want to do. And guess what? We are still performing criminal acts like the war in Iraq. Maybe we will never change.

All the crime that is still going on in this Country I think they are running about ten behind.

The judicial system in this country obviously does’nt work.I think we need to adopt some others countrys punishments for crimes.This country Is like a run away train.Bush Is the conductor.we waste way to much tax payers money.If our so called commander and chief,and his neocons lived as unfortunate as the rest of us on the run away train This country would’nt be so reckless ,with it’s laws and monies.so what do you think commander and chief.?I think we need to get with the program…p.s Jack you would make a much better commander and chief..

Jack:: Loved your book! Keep telling it like it is.
If the 12-20 illegals in the country were behind bars; the percentages
would rise from 2.4% to 6.4-9.6%.

let me see … fewer jobs, overrun by illegal aliens… a corrupted, justice system … increasing anger in everyone it seems ….. we are raising a generation of angry unemployed zombies waling around with headphones, who cannot put 2 words together with using “you know” or “uh” . We also teach them that violence is ok , just look at our sports figures, if they don’t like something they hit or kick or throw things and it is perceived as ok …… I am sure these people in prisons are saying well I didn’t know it was wrong ………… duh !!!! I would be very interested to know what percentage of these people in prisons are illegal aliens….. or how many speak english

With over 800,000 annual marijuana arrests in the US no one should find these numbers surprising. If this money hungry country stopped picking on peaceful citizens and shifted more of their focus to violent crimes and theft, that number might look a less disappointing.

Our prison population is a direct result of resources being cut in the rehabilitation and law enforcement areas and allowing drugs to infest the country. A very large percentage of our prison population is from the drug problem. Open borers and too many people making too much money off these drugs and the prison system itself have been the status quo. There is no real effort to rehab a prisoner. They have to come back to support the “system”. Like any “hotel” returning “guests” are good business. Until we decide to rehabilitate the system itself, it says we condone it as is,

As a Chaplain in one of the nations largest county correctional facilities, we should be ashamed that we even call them correctional facilities because very little of anything resembling correction (in behavior) is even going on at theses places.Before we stick one more red cent into foreign wars fighting terroists over seas we should divert one-fourth of that money to giving these men and women a chance to spend their sentences building broken bridges, fighting fires, building up communities that have had their leeves over run with flood waters, then and only then will these self proclaimed urban terroists realize that one way or another they have to give back to the communities they have destroyed. But lets face it locking men and women up in America has become big business whenever these private prisons can be found on wall st. we know then that it is all about money.

I shouldn’t surprise anyone that the morality in this Country has slipped dramatically.
If you need an example jut look at the current Administration. Lies, deceit, fraud all in the name of
Defense spending, political wars and torture to boot. If our leaders are liars where does that leave us…
The prison system has never worked, and that’s a fact. We need a system that starts before the
Crime is committed. Education and family values, guidance and rehabilitation are more effective than
Sheer punishment!

George
NYC

WELL, when prison offers cable t.v, air-conditioning, a free weight center, free meals, health insurance, free rent, and all that other good stuff, why wouldn’t over 5% of the population prefer to live in prison for “free” rather than to work hard like the rest of us. Make prison what it’s meant to be and people would not want to be there. Ever visited a Chinese or Nigerian prison?,enough said.

Whenever your economy bottoms out crime increases. And it will get worse with a recession looming in the wings.

i saw you part on the federal prison tonight
i like to say thank you
we need more light put on this

as you said it cost 25000,00 to30000.00 dollars to keep on inmate
danny k davis is working on a bill now that would bring back parole an increase good time for federal inmates
it not saying just let them out
when a person can do a crime and the state take it to court you will get less time an you will have parole
now do the same crime and the federal take it to cout you will a lot more time an no parole something wrong

when they did away with parole in the federal system they said it would stop crime
it has not if it had why are the numbers keep going up

we need every one to write washington an tell them it is time for a change

fedcure-org@yahoogroups.net

We have a higher percentage of citizens in jail than any Fascist dictatorship or Communist country. That is absolutely ethically criminal. We have lowest graduation rates, fastest offshoring of job rates, highest obsession of movie star google /searches, fastest falling major currency, the most foreign based military bases to support, the most secretive rulers of any country, and the list goes on. Perhaps, hopefully, Ron Paul can clean it up.

The report fails to mention the fact that many industries have been established in inside the prisons and huge profits are made and many government supplies are made and produce in the federal prison industries. Prisoners are learning trades and gaining pay of $.08 to $.52, yet cannot use experience gain into gaining employment upon release, however, are subjected to the whims of sometimes over zealous supervision officers. Prison has become the modern day slavery generating lucrative salaries for the elite. We need to redirect our attention toward rehabilitation as oppose to strictyly punitshing the guilty with effective prisoner entry programs upn release.

It says that the United States never had a plan for readmitting it’s slaves into the dominant society. The United States did have controls to make sure that that formerly enslaved population never rose to dominance by allowing drugs to fester in the communities occpied majority freed slave populations without job opportunities and equal education. The most terrible autrosity is that now the U.S. government wants to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants. This will help destroy their freed slaves with a hands off approach. Felons will return home without education, resources for employment, healthcare, or suitible housing. There will be wars on our streets (already starting in Los Angeles , CA) and many innocent people hurt. Our government will blame individuals while it is they who should share the responsibility for the situation. It says that the United States is hypocritical at best. The United States fights for Democracy abroad and turns a blind eye and a cold shoulder to it’s own citizens. It fights for freedom in other Nations, but imprisons Black males who can’t make a jump shot, play football, marry a White woman, or sing and dance. It’s not all about race, but it is clearly about class and education.

Jack, as a black male in the United States I find it replusive that there are more young black males in the prison systems than in college. This to me just shows that America has not progressed with its justice system since the day’s of slavery. For example, the disparity in sentencing guidelines for crack and powder cocaine has to be a target to the urban (black) society. I guess what I am trying to say is that the prison systems is big business and as long as the cells are full business is good.

Jack,

PLEASE READ MARGIE’S RESPONSE ON-AIR??

I am surprised only 1 in 31 are behind bars. I thought that number would be higher.( I mean a higher number behind bars). It seems that every time I switch on the TV people have committed some type of crime. I feel that the US is too soft on crime.

Look, research shows that there is a definite correlation between poverty and crime. I blame most of this on a shrinking middle class moving downward in wealth. This dilemma is not caused by political violence; this is a result of criminal activity revolving around financial issues.

Breakdown in families, social structures, and other parts of the American dynamic are caused by desperation; often time by financial problems. I say shame on all of us for not seeing the forest for the trees; it surely is all tied to the rich standing back and judging the have-nots! One in thirty-one Americans? Reduce poverty and strenghten the middle class by allowing them to be upwardly mobile and that statistic would go away.

Oh, and we won’t even get into the attack on due process by this administration and minimum standards for sentencing. This Draconian leadership encourages either sending the poor off to war to die or just shove them in prisons where they can’t be seen by the “average” American.

I would like to thank Pete for one of the real reasons that our prisons are overcrowded. I’ve been involved with the justice system as a court watcher. What I’ve seen is a complete corrupted system. D.A.’s that are forcing people to take plea bargains by stacking the charges. When someone is arrested, the plant charges that make someone, who might be innocent, to take a plea because they know that the juries are planted with friendly jurors to the court system. If they go to trial, they are looking at 20 yrs for a non violent crime but they are offered 10 yrs to take a plea. This is done everyday and if anyone thinks it’s because of bad kids, I can tell you it’s not. We are forcing these kids to become bad. Because when they get out, they can’t get a job which then forces them find another way to live. Then crime goes up again. We don’t need to make more criminals we need to educate and give them a chance to work when they get out. But now, even for a hamburger slapping job, you go thru a credit check and police check. Our society is turning this country into a socialist country and most don’t have a clue to what’s happening.

It means yeh! We’re number one.

We may have an atrocious education system. Our constitution has been trampled by the neo-cons. We have exported all our manufacturing jobs. We are fighting an illegal war of choice paid for by money borrowed from the Chinese. Our housing market is in a free fall.

But for people in the justice system (incarcerated and/or under court supervision) we are number one.

December 7th, 2007 6:29 pm ET
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
I shouldn’t surprise anyone that the morality in this Country has slipped dramatically.
If you need an example jut look at the current Administration. Lies, deceit, fraud all in the name of defense spending, political wars and torture to boot. If our leaders are liars where does that leave us…
The prison system has never worked, and that’s a fact. We need a system that starts before the crime is committed. Education and family values, guidance and rehabilitation come to mind and are more effective than heer punishment!

George
NYC

Do you think massive overcriminalization might have something to do with it? Now with the thought police out there, I’m sure those numbers will jump dramatically… It would seem they are trying to frighten people so they don’t leave home for fear of being tased or worse… A society of fear!

Jack,

In my opinion, there are mutiple reason for the rate of incarceration.

1) There is a lack of self-discepline among our adult citizens.

2) There are too many silly laws that commit people to excessive punisment.

3) Judges are allowed too much, personal, discretion when meting-out punishment. Unfortunately, they seem to confuse “punishment” with “rehabilation”
Both are important but, Rehabilation should come after punishment and should be conducted by a qualified person.

It says that our society as a whole is going to hell in a handbasket! If the Judicial Branch, would branch out to have a Moral Court system and instead of incarceration for minor offenders … send all the nuckleheads to the military so they can get a taste of real life. 3 minor arrest 3 strikes your out. They would get shipped out to the Reserves instead of jail and work their butts off for the good of the country not the bad. Twenty -five thousand to house people for years who end up in and out of jail on a regular basis. Not on my watch! Good thing I’m not a judge in charge of Moral Court. We would see those outrageous incarceration numbers decline. Why should taxpayers have to foot the bill for grown adults who don’t want to stand in line and go about their life as decent citizens. The Reserves or Military can reform and use good strong men and women like those minor offenders taking up space in the jails of this country. Hey they may even be some of the best fighters ever!

Stephanie Brown-Montford
Connecticut

The prison system is clogged because the three strikes law has non viollent offenders incarecerated. Ankle bracelets are the way to go.

Prohibition banned alcohol consumption and production at least in theory. It made most people criminals and just a few criminals very rich and powerful and resulted in an increased murder rate. It manifestly did not work.

Current drug control, prevention or prohibition doesnt work either. It should be rethought. The states ought to licence and sell controlled substances to those with a valid prescription from doctors specialising in drug addiction. The proceeds should be used for anti drug education programs.

In one fell swoop you release the Coast Guard and Border Control from drug enforcement to protecting our borders. You release the police to fight crime and you free up space in prison for real offenders.

You also put the drug merchants out of business as they cannot compete with a licensed, legal and above board source of supply, namely the State.

State or Federal prison is nothing more than a “university” where different drug lords, gangs and their soldiers are sent for training. To get sent to prison is to harden a first time offender and to provide him/her with all the connections and know how they could possibly need on the outside to murder, manufacture, import and traffic in drugs

First and foremost one must look at the prison system itself. As you stated on the air, the prison system is a very big “business”, not just for the local, state and federal systems, but for private industry as well. They ship inmates around from facility to facility because there is a “cash value” incentive each time an inmate is relocated. The “private” facilities are doing nothing more than housing inmates (mostly illegal aliens here in CA) for a profit, feeding them substandard food, and doing nothing more than raking in the money.

I believe the major problem in not just crime itself, but two very important factors that relate to the numbers you state above:

1. If you were to investigate this matter, you would learn that many inmates are in prison because of a parole violation, hence the numbers being so high. I have knowledge of a man who was sent back to prison for 18 months for a parole violation because he failed to report to his parole officer that he purchased new tires for his truck! There is something horribly wrong with our system if we are going to allow this type of pettiness to continue! But, it’s business and there’s money to be made by having him back in prison!

The prison system, as it operates today, is doing nothing to rehabilitate these individuals, but instead is doing nothing more than breaking them down into former shreds of themselves, breeding animosity towards all authority by the treatment they receive, and ingraining a strong distrust of a system that some of them used to believe in. This is not the formula for successfully reintroducing these individuals back into our society, and it is all of us who pay the price…not just the inmate.

2. I believe that the majority of people currently incarcerated is due to the government’s “war on drugs”. This war, although conceived with an honorable goal, has become a joke. I can’t even begin to address this here and now because there is simply not enough room on this page. However, if one is going to have any impact on the war on drugs, then the mental health and attitude of Americans needs to be considered. Drugs are like any other commodity and as such is based on supply and demand. Demand being the key factor here. It’s obvious that the mental health of America is not healthy, otherwise, so many people would not be trying to escape reality by using drugs. If we, as a country, do not address the issues that are causing Americans to use drugs, then the war is futile, as the “demand” will continue to the end of time.

You said it, “it is a huge money monster” It’s all about the money.. The vast majority of these “crimes” are about abusive drinking and or minor drug offensive’s. Do we have a huge problem in this country with our children drinking and doing drugs, YES WE DO… Does taking teenager’s & young adult’s and fining them $1000’s of dollars they don’t have, putting them in jail when we don’t have room and it cost them the jobs they do have accomplish “anything” NO NO NO. These people need help not jail, what good does it do fining a kid $2, 3 4, 5,000 dollars when they don’t have it, the current system is out of control white collar crime and in the end we do nothing to help these people. Beer & Alcohol suppliers spent 10’s of millions on advertising to tell us how important it is that we drink and make it look super cool to have a drink in your hand at a party but we don’t spend a dime to tell us how huge a problem we have with teenage drinking in this country, put an ankle bracelet on, spend 3 to $5000 for an attorney, 2 to $3000 in fines, pay money to a probation officer, watch another life get messed up and than they just go out and do it again, guess it makes a lot of people rich…..

Jack,

The notion of a Blog, is interesting. Unfortunately, I’m not having much success with reading it, or even using it. Never used one, nor been on one, before.

I was expecting some sort of organization, so I didn’t have to read for hours, to get to a topic I’m interested in reading about, or commenting on.

Guess I’ll go back to simply being in the dark, even though I’d enjoy reading what other have to say, or think about things in this (once) Great Nation,…, that Bush and his Congress have just about destroyed, for us and for our children, and their children.

REGARDLESS,..,

I really do enjoy your portion of the show. You always tell it like it is and YOU certainly do have great comments on what shoud be done. You defintely identify with “WE THE PEOPLE”!!!

P.S. On your question about “What should GOP say to Hispanic voters?”,…, the GOP should tell them what “WE THE PEOPLE” want them to know. If Legal and making a positive contribution to this country,…, then “WELCOME”. If ILLEGAL,…, tell them to get the HELL OUT OF THE USA. WE don’t need you and we definitely DON’T need you here in our country. Go back home and fix your own country!!!

Well Jack, for one thing, it says that the only “winner” in the war on drugs is the prison industry! That “war” is going about as well as the one in Iraq! “Heck of a job Brownie!”

Mr. Cafferty,
It says to me that the government is at fault for making life so hard to live. We are taxed so much that we never have enough to take home and invest in anything for ourselves and people do things that they would not normally do. I am not speaking for all. A fair amount of them deserve it.
Go RON PAUL.

I like your style. How about you run for President?

When will The Decider and his cronies finally get around to renaming the USA, the new and “un”kinder version of the old USSR? With Wiretaps, No knock warrants, cameras on every corner and bedroom- if they have done all this stuff to keep TRACK 7million citizens why havent they used it to track and find illegal aliens involved in gangs and illegal drug trade already in this same system that have violated our laws? What a crock this Homeland Security. These clowns and their assinine bogus creation of National Security will never feel secure until every single American is under house arrest. With prisons and intell already taxed to the limit in this effort of disenfranchising Americans of their dignity and rights over misdemeanor offenses it is no wonder illegals are getting a free pass to do whatever they want here. Somebody has to do the jobs imprisoned Americans no longer are free to do. -edit

It shows that parents were lied to and or became lazy. Me-ism materialism single or no parent families and divorce. I wnder what Dr. Spock would say now. Proper GUIDENCE disipline TIME and LOVE is what was needed when the inmates where just kids. Now they pay, not just us, for the lack of parenting.

Accoding to social science, if all the world consisted of well behaved people, some would be more well behaved, some would be average, and some would be those who weren’t as well behaved as the average.

Criminal activity is part and parcel of humanity. There will always be criminals and there will always be people who try to teach them how to live in society.

Our family thinks it’s time to outsource our US prison business to Mexico and China. Ship our prisoners off to be imprisoned in the country of the lowest bidder where they would be under the laws of their country instead of ours. Compare being in a Mexican prison instead of a comparibly cushy US prison. We suspect it would be much more of a deterrant to repeat a crime than US prisons obviously are. And all the unemployed prison guards could be sent to guard our Southern border.

There are 2 major problems in the prison system today. Take a good look at the repeat offenders. The prison system today is full of drug cases where these individuals made big money and lived expensive lifestyles. They go to prison and do their time and are trained to do nothing but come out and get a job at McDonald’s and end up going right back to their old ways. The second problem is the feds and their sentencing guidelines that send many people to prison that could be out doing community service. Take a look at the number of doctors, nurses and lawyers in the federal prison system today that could be helping our poor communities instead of our taxes paying thousands of dollars for them to stay at placed like Camp Cupcake!

It means OUR country needs to really reform the system, it’s just like most of our government… BROKEN. just like our borders. Anyone else seeing a trend?

I would prefer to see our troops taking care of the terrorists in our cities in the US when gangs are terrorizing the public. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to go anywhere in cities without worrying about being harmed?

And we call these people in Iraq terrorists?

I think that we are a nation that worries far to much about young people smoking pot and drinking under age, rather than going after murderers, pedophiles, and other violent criminals. I lived in Louisville Ky. for five years where they have something like 50,000 unserved felony warrants, but at the same time one of my best friends gets arrested twice in a week for smoking marijuana. If we go after the real criminals and punish them correctly, then maybe the real criminals would think twice about commiting serious crimes. Basically I think the real criminals always get a pat on the back, while young people who make mistakes go to jail.

It says that our public school systems is failing in far too many instances to socialize our children properly. No discipline in school, no discipline at home, adds up to no discipline on the streets. Very sad.

Our political “leaders” are constantly being caught up in legal scandals. Our religious “leaders” are behaving just as badly. School teachers, radio and television “role models”, sports “heroes” . . . . you name it, they are all setting the same example.

And history teaches one thing about our society, we all like to play follow the leader.

On 9/11 prison stock values soared. Bush will do whatever it take sto support BIG BUSINESS such as the prision industry. nfortunately no one went to jail for the crime on 9/11, or was demoted or received a letter of reprimand, but not to worry, there are lots of Federally managed illegal drugs being smuggled in, per Mike Ruppert’s “Crossing the Rubicon”, that will keep those poor kids in jail, and the profits up!

Jack,
It means thirty of us haven’t been caught.
Paul
TN

Just think how many more people would be in our prisons if we put all of our elected crooked politicians in there, vp and pres. included.

it says that our system is not doing its job

If you murder someone you should be put to death

if you want to ruin your life with drugs then the results will be your own punishment as long as no one else becomes collateral damage.

but the problem is that justice is applied wrong in most situations because criminals become our police. Not every one of them is bad but how do you justify tasering a pregnant woman or giving a murderer less time then someone with a handful of illegal drugs.

our society is too scared to fix this
so it just keeps getting worse

But when people like Rudy Giulani whos father was a Mafia Bag man and worked for his uncle who was in the mafia (Wikipedia ) and then he surrounds himself with mafia in his administration ….. and then he recommends someone with mafia ties as director of homeland security…

This is how we have such bassAckwards enforcement of laws.

Who wants marijuana illegal? The Mafia so they can control the distribution.
If every marijuana user got some plant seeds they would grow their own in their homes and there would be no reason for anyone to buy it

It says the “War On Drugs” is insane, its only a “War on Americans Who Use Drugs” and it MUST stop, NOW…

When we have this many people in jail. It just shows people are not afraid to go to jail. We need to make jail time harder on people so they won’t want to break our laws. We could farm our long time prisoners out to third world countries and save money. We could also model and treat our jails like third world countries. Spending only pennies a day per prisoner. Make them work hard with no comforts or rights. We would probably have to close places down after a few years. Once people learn if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.

As I hold my temper, I am 1 of those 1/31 related to this article. The problem is that the SYSTEM “Legal/Judicial system” does not work. For one as it was related to me by a Peace Officer is that the SYSTEM is specifically designed to fail in order to keep revenue’s up for the city. They want you to fail so they can put you on probation or parole to get more money from you. They do not care one bit or want to even try to help you fix whatever the problem that particular individual is having.

Hence we are starting to see exactly what is happening more often with people acting out drasticly trying to get help. Yet no one seems to care or wants to help them. Then there are those individuals that are so down and out on their luck that they would rather be in Jail to have a place to sleep.

Plus it is the Government officials that gets elected thinking that some new law has to be enforced. So they can feel like they actually did something while they were an official. All in all it comes down to the Legal, Judicial, and Goverment officials trying to control every little thing. When they should just worry about themselves instead of what Grandma Joe is doing in the bathroom.

I believe that America has grown too soft on crime and punishment. The focus is usually so wrapped around protecting a criminal’s rights that we forget a crime was committed and that justice should be served. There should be stricter sentencing for crimes and less chances for habitual offenders to be habitual offenders. I feel like America has been on a severe downwards spiral and I’m not sure if there is any hope in sight.

there is already a phrase used for this type of society, police state…did you know in florida 1 in 5 prisoners are for drivers liscence suspensions. and most cops have tasers, a device described by the UN as torture used for “pain compliance,” its truely is getting ugly out there

jack, im surprised you dont know the answer to this one, its the corporations stupid. haliburtin and kbr builds em, wackin hut runs em and the cia fills the streets full of drugs along with the rockefeler owned and controlled legal drugs and bingo the elites win-win-win. aint it fun? randy

I personally know of a case in a California prison where habeas corpus and due process have been ignored…so prisons will do most anything to deny release of nonviolent offenders. I can only guess what happened to the man, but it’s obvious that his letter describing a ‘fall down the stair