Here are seven shocking facts about mass incarceration that sound like April Fools’ jokes but are, unfortunately, very real:
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The U.S. Incarceration Rate is the Highest in the World – With 664 people incarcerated per 100,000 residents, the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate globally, far surpassing countries like Canada (104 per 100,000) and many authoritarian states
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Over 450,000 People in Jail Haven’t Even Been Convicted – More than 80% of people in local jails are being held pretrial, meaning they have not been convicted of a crime but are incarcerated simply because they cannot afford bail
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The U.S. Prison Population Has Grown 700% in 50 Years – Since the 1970s, the number of incarcerated individuals in state and federal prisons has skyrocketed, driven largely by policies such as mandatory minimum sentencing and the War on Drugs
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One in Six State Prisoners Have Served Over 10 Years – Harsh sentencing policies result in long prison stays, with at least 1 in 6 people in state prisons having already served more than a decade behind bars
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Formerly Incarcerated People Face a 27% Unemployment Rate – People released from prison struggle to find jobs, experiencing an unemployment rate higher than that of the Great Depression
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Mass Incarceration Costs U.S. Taxpayers $182 Billion Annually – The criminal justice system—including prisons, courts, and policing—costs the U.S. an estimated $182 billion each year, with significant profits going to private corporations
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Incarceration Reduces Life Expectancy – Every year spent in prison cuts two years off a person’s life expectancy, due to poor healthcare, violence, and stress within the prison system
These facts highlight how deeply entrenched mass incarceration is in the U.S., affecting millions of lives while costing taxpayers billions. For more in-depth data, you can check the full report from the Prison Policy Initiative here
Added Seven facts about mass incarceration that sound like April Fools’ Day hoaxes, but aren’t to the Prison Policy Blog.
Fines for suicide attempts, prisons built near toxic wastelands, the overwhelming number of people in the system…it’s hard to believe, but it’s true.