Increase in incarceration

The U.S., with 5% of the world’s population and 25% of its prisoners, is the world leader in incarceration.  Prison population has exploded 700% since the 1970s.

Most of the staggering growth relates to re-incarceration rather than offenders entering prison for the first time.

The consequences in terms of dollars and lives resulting from simply housing and re-arresting the same individuals, instead of rehabilitating them, are devastating.

Trends in U.S. Corrections