US/Prison

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Concept.png US/Prison
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OECD incarceration rates per 100,000 citizens, by International Centre for Prison Studies

US prisons lock up far more people than any other country, both proportionally and in absolute numbers.[1]

War on Drugs

Full article: Rated 4/5 “War on Drugs”

The singular position of the self-styled 'land of the free' deserves special mention in an article on prisons, since it has lead the global "war on drugs", which has been a boon to the private prison industry.

Life sentences

In 2012, almost 160,000 US prisoners were serving life sentences. Of these, 49,000 are serving life without possibility of parole, an increase of 22% since 2008. The ACLU reported that over 3000 of these were for minor, non-violent crimes, for example theft of a jacket valued at $159. The reports wrote that the US was “virtually alone in its willingness to sentence non-violent offenders to die behind bars.” Life without parole for nonviolent sentences has been ruled a violation of human rights by the European Court of Human Rights.[2]

Torture

US prisoners have reported being tortured to the point of unconsciousness by guards.[3][4]


 

Related Document

TitleTypePublication dateAuthor(s)Description
Document:Private Prisons Criminalized RapLetter, E-Mail24 April 2012Unknown
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References