One of every 75 U.S. men in prison, report finds

[Kadie]

One of every 75 U.S. men in prison, report finds

CONNIE CASS, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, May 27, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


(05-27) 14:22 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

America's inmate population grew by 2.9 percent last year, to almost 2.1 million people, with one of every 75 men living in prison or jail.

The inmate population continued its rise despite a fall in the crime rate and many states' efforts to reduce some sentences, especially for low-level drug offenders.

The report issued Thursday by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics attributes much of the increase to get-tough policies enacted during the 1980s and '90s, such as mandatory drug sentences, "three-strikes-and-you're-out" laws for repeat offenders, and "truth-in-sentencing" laws that restrict early releases.

Whether that's good or bad depends on who is asked.

snip...
But Attorney General John Ashcroft said the report shows the success of efforts to take hard-core criminals off the streets.

more... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/05/27/national1722EDT0702.DTL

I find it hard to believe that 1 in every 75 men is a hard-core criminal. Of course, Ashcroft probably considers grandpa that doesn't use a cross walk a hazard to society.