Less crime, more time.The total population of citizens incarcerated incarcerated /in·car·cer·at·ed/ (in-kahr´ser-at?ed) imprisoned; constricted; subjected to incarceration. in·car·cer·at·ed adj. Confined or trapped, as a hernia. , paroled, or on probation in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. reached a new high in 2003, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Noun 1. Bureau of Justice Statistics - the agency in the Department of Justice that is the primary source of criminal justice statistics for federal and local policy makers BJS . More than 3 percent of U.S. adults were part of the correctional population sometime during 2003, despite a decade of decreases in violent crime, property crime, and gun-related crime. The increasing prison population results from "political policies promulgated prom·ul·gate tr.v. prom·ul·gat·ed, prom·ul·gat·ing, prom·ul·gates 1. To make known (a decree, for example) by public declaration; announce officially. See Synonyms at announce. 2. by politicians who are doing what they think the public wants," Harmon Wray, executive director of the National Association of Sentencing Advocates, told Sojourners. "Unfortunately, the only options the public sees are either highly punitive or just slaps on the wrist. There's not enough middle ground. Accountability, restitution, treatment--those are what the public really wants when presented with alternatives [to incarceration Confinement in a jail or prison; imprisonment. Police officers and other law enforcement officers are authorized by federal, state, and local lawmakers to arrest and confine persons suspected of crimes. The judicial system is authorized to confine persons convicted of crimes. ]." * 4.8 million. The total number of people on probation or parole in the United States in 2003; up from 3.8 million in 1995. * 2 million. The total number of men and women in all U.S. prisons and jails at mid-year 2003. * 130,700. The increase in the total adult correctional population from 2002 to 2003. * 4 percent. The average annual increase in jail populations since 1995. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics bulletin (July 2004) |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion