US News
US prison population jumps by largest margin since 2000
Jun 26, 2007, 19:07 GMT
Washington - The number of people jailed in the United States rose 2.8 per cent to more than 2.2 million in 2006, the largest climb in six years, the US Justice Department said Tuesday.
The heavy increases in prison populations since 2000, especially at state and federal levels, means many prisons are operating far over capacity, according to the department's annual report.
At the end of 2005, federal prisons were operating on average 34 per cent above capacity, while state prisons were between 1 per cent below and 14 per cent above capacity, the report said.
Local, state and federal prisons together held just over 2.245 million people as of June 30, 2006, up 62,000 from the same period a year earlier.
The percentages continue to be skewed towards minorities. Black males made up 37 per cent of the country's prison population as of June 2006.
About 4.8 per cent of all black men in the US are currently incarcerated - more than 11 per cent of those aged between 25 and 34 - compared to 1.9 per cent of Hispanic men and 0.7 per cent of white males, the report said.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
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Last poster....Also to add US law makers make laws that are more punishable and longer sentences to particular crimes more associated commited by young black males (cocaine, heroine, etc.).
On the other hand law makers are more lenient and short sentecing on more common white crimes...child molestation, meth drug, marijuana, etc.
It's how the laws are made and how punishible they are that makes more black males incarcerated. Over 75% of the black males in prison are in there for DRUG offences....not violent offences, robberies, murder,etc. The US Law makers know exactly what they're doing.
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tonny from belgiumJun 26th, 2007 - 22:47:38
The figure of black kids in prison need carefull examination.Is there nobody capable of giving an explanation as to why such enormous part of the black population is incarcerated .There are only so much explanations possible .Either they are more severily punished,either they are are more easily arrested,either they are more prone to commit crminal acts,perhaps they are more ealily discriminated in their social,cultural or economical aspirations.Whatever the reason repression should never be the easiest available anwer to the bigger problem .THe figures are just too extraordinary.
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