[Regency 2007]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world and for the first time in the nation's history, more than one in every 100 American adults is confined in a prison or jail, according to a report released on Thursday.

The report by the Pew Center on the States said the American penal system held more than 2.3 million adults at the start of the year.

The far more populous nation of China ranked second with 1.5 million behind bars, with Russia a distant third with 890,000 inmates.

"Beyond the sheer number of inmates, America also is the global leader in the rate at which it incarcerates its citizenry, outpacing nations like South Africa and Iran," according to the report.

Tough sentencing laws, record numbers of drug offenders and high crime rates have contributed to the United States having the largest prison population and the highest rate of incarceration in the world, criminal justice experts say.

The latest report tracked similar findings on the U.S. prison population by the Justice Department and various private groups. A report in November by a criminal justice research group found the number of people in U.S. prison had risen eight-fold since 1970.

The new report said that the national prison population has nearly tripled between 1987 and 2007.

"The number of people behind bars in the United States continued to climb in 2007, saddling cash-strapped states with soaring costs they can ill afford and failing to have a clear impact either on recidivism or overall crime," it said.

States last year spent more than $44 billion on corrections, the report said, compared with $10.6 billion in 1987, the report said, adding that the rate of increase for prison costs was six times greater than for higher education spending.

The report said the current prison growth has not been driven mainly by a parallel increase in crime or a corresponding surge in the nation's population.

"Rather, it flows principally from a wave of policy choices that are sending more lawbreakers to prison and, through the popular 'three-strikes' measures and other sentencing enhancements, keeping them there longer," it said.

The report said some states, such as Texas and Kansas, have acted to slow their prison population growth, with greater use of community supervision for lower-risk offenders and sanctions other than prison for minor probation and parole violations, such as missing a counseling session.

[BWAL09]

that's where alot of our tax dollars are going - taking care and feeding those low life criminals..

there was a guy on here a while back who said his mom got shot and killed in atlantic city because a homeless guy just wanted free shelter..

[MSO]

legalize weed!!!

[supermachone]

we all know for the most part america sucks, thats why im gonna save up and buy my own island no bs for me!

[Regency 2007]

Originally Posted by MSO legalize weed!!!

That would be bad

[MSO]

it would ease the burden on jails and create a lot of revenue through taxes, also eliminating the need for drug dealers, slimming down some crime as well

[acmillr]

Originally Posted by MSO it would ease the burden on jails and create a lot of revenue through taxes, also eliminating the need for drug dealers, slimming down some crime as well

Tax the rich, give to the poor/lazy.......yada, yada, yada.......

[Vinyl66]

the drug laws are insane.

[Regency 2007]

Originally Posted by MSO it would ease the burden on jails and create a lot of revenue through taxes, also eliminating the need for drug dealers, slimming down some crime as well

If it was legallized that would = more weed in the U.S.
More weed would = more crime

If you watch the news, most crime and murder has to do with gangs and drugs in the city. Increase drug's would increase crime. If there was no such thing as weed, heroin, ect. There would be nothing to kill eachother over. But illegal drugs are here to stay though.

[acmillr]

Originally Posted by Regency 2007 If it was legallized that would = more weed in the U.S. More weed would = more crime If you watch the news, most crime and murder has to do with gangs and drugs in the city. Increase drug's would increase crime. If there was no such thing as weed, heroin, ect. There would be nothing to kill eachother over. But illegal drugs are here to stay though.

OK, this post makes no sense. Having been high more than most of you can imagine, I can give an EXPERT opinion on this one. Marijuana would reduce the crime rate if anything. Have you ever seen anyone get high and go looking for fights. Don't comment on drugs you know nothing about.

[supermachone]

illegal drugs, illegal immagrants...the government doesnt care, they just give you money for being poor and lazy and let you have fun while everyone else works for a living

[MSO]

Originally Posted by Regency 2007 If it was legallized that would = more weed in the U.S. More weed would = more crime If you watch the news, most crime and murder has to do with gangs and drugs in the city. Increase drug's would increase crime. If there was no such thing as weed, heroin, ect. There would be nothing to kill eachother over. But illegal drugs are here to stay though.

do you know what gangs are?

they're rival groups of people who fight over areas to sell drugs

without the need to go to a shady person like a gang member, a gang wouldn't exist, at least not for selling weed

there wouldn't be anyone shooting other ppl over weed the same way their isn't anyone shooting ppl over beer

do some research on gangs first, then tell me its not a good idea

the only problem is the moral aspect, should we allow people access to weed?

[MSO]

Originally Posted by acmillr OK, this post makes no sense. Having been high more than most of you can imagine, I can give an EXPERT opinion on this one. Marijuana would reduce the crime rate if anything. Have you ever seen anyone get high and go looking for fights. Don't comment on drugs you know nothing about.

EXACTLY!

[supermachone]

shit last i knew weed did a lot less damage than alcohol

[Rico-mofos]

i dont see th US ever legalizing marijuana ....maybe decriminalization would help...but our justice system has gotten out of hand lately....

[MSO]

weed is slowly becomming legal

hell, the only reason its illegal in the first place is cuz some politician got elected by scaring ppl into thinkin its bad and then got rid of it

[Regency 2007]

Originally Posted by MSO do you know what gangs are? they're rival groups of people who fight over areas to sell drugs without the need to go to a shady person like a gang member, a gang wouldn't exist, at least not for selling weed there wouldn't be anyone shooting other ppl over weed the same way their isn't anyone shooting ppl over beer do some research on gangs first, then tell me its not a good idea the only problem is the moral aspect, should we allow people access to weed?

I know about gangs, I'm from freaking Memphis. They're right there with manhattan just about. Cops wont even go in certain areas at night in Memphis.
I also had to work with them too. ( In a warehouse)

[supermachone]

well look at alcohol, people addicted to it, abusing it, ruins lives, a lot of people are angry drunks, a lot of people drive under the influence, alcohol poisoning kills people too...and you only have to be 21 to buy it, i think people abuse alcohol way more than they would weed if it was legal

[MSO]

Originally Posted by supermachone well look at alcohol, people addicted to it, abusing it, ruins lives, a lot of people are angry drunks, a lot of people drive under the influence, alcohol poisoning kills people too...and you only have to be 21 to buy it, i think people abuse alcohol way more than they would weed if it was legal

there's a counter argument to this

weed is a VERY addicting substance in the sense that its easily abusable

there is no overdose.. you smoke too much you'll pass out and wake up a little groggy until you smoke some more

you drink too much you'll pass out and wake up dead or in a hospital

you can smoke every single day, all day long with little consequence to your body in comparison to alcohol

lazy ppl with access to free money (mommy and daddy, govt., etc.) will have a field day on it

[BWAL09]

Originally Posted by MSO there's a counter argument to this weed is a VERY addicting substance in the sense that its easily abusable there is no overdose.. you smoke too much you'll pass out and wake up a little groggy until you smoke some more you drink too much you'll pass out and wake up dead or in a hospital you can smoke every single day, all day long with little consequence to your body in comparison to alcohol lazy ppl with access to free money (mommy and daddy, govt., etc.) will have a field day on it

how do you wake up dead?