Prison population to have first drop since 1972

[onehandle]

Source: AP

DALLAS – The United States may soon see its prison population drop for the first time in almost four decades, a milestone in a nation that locks up more people than any other. The inmate population has risen steadily since the early 1970s as states adopted get-tough policies that sent more people to prison and kept them there longer. But tight budgets now have states rethinking these policies and the costs that come with them.

"It's a reversal of a trend that's been going on for more than a generation," said David Greenberg, a sociology professor at New York University. "In some ways, it's overdue." The U.S. prison population dropped steadily during most of the 1960s, and there were a few small dips in 1970 and 1972. But it has risen every year since, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

About 739,000 prisoners were admitted to state and federal facilities last year, about 3,500 more than were released, according to new figures from the bureau. The 0.8 percent growth in the prison population is the smallest annual increase this decade and significantly less than the 6.5 percent average annual growth of the 1990s. Overall, there were 1.6 million prisoners in state and federal prisons at the end of 2008.

In the past, prison populations have been lower when drafts were enacted, including during World War II and the wars in Korea and Vietnam. "People who go to war are young men, and young men are the most likely to get arrested or prosecuted," said James Austin, president of the JFA Institute, a research organization that advises states on prison issues.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091220/ap_on_re_us/us_prison_population_4

[Jefferson23]

1. Great, now they have room for the schmucks in D.C., they are committing

fraud with this health care bill, lock them up please.

[Mugweed]

2. But percentages and total numbers are different

We still have more people being incarcerated as a whole. Just because our population increases and makes the percentage incarcerated go down, the prison population is growin too fast. There are still too many people being jailed for dumb reasons. It sounds to me like we're supposed to be celebrating taking one step forward after taking five steps back.

[HopeHoops]

3. Prediction: FOX spin will be "OBAMA WEAK ON CRIME!"

They don't need no stinkin' facts.

[Itchinjim]

6. Hell, DU will spin it that way.

n/t

[HopeHoops]

14. Yeah, unfortunately that seems to be true.

[depakid]

18. You win for the dumbest post of the month

and that's saying something.

[Itchinjim]

20. Oh boy! Do I get a prize?!

I hope it's a pony!

[Bigmack]

4. The ONLY reason that prison populations are dropping

is because "they" can't afford to give "them" three hots and a cot anymore! But I suppose ANY reason to get folks out from behind bars is better than keeping them there - tho I reckon a lot of them will just be sleeping under bridges - IF they can find space under the bridges, and the bridges don't fall down on them..... Ms Bigmack

[ThomThom]

8. another reason to legalize non-violent crimes

:toast:

[Tunkamerica]

10. so you want burglary legalized?

[Flaneur]

22. I suppose he was referring to drugs and prostitution.

And yes, that would be a wise policy change.

[RedCloud]

5. Wait 'til the prison industrial moguls catch wind of this!

[upstandingcitizens]

7. Early releases

Florida is talking about releasing the elderly lifers once they get to old to re-offend. Alot of states are reviewing sentences to see if they can cut loose prisoners early to save a buck. There's still crime and it's getting easier to slip past the system. ;)

[dysfunctional press]

19. and how many of those will commit new crimes so they can go back 'home'...?

[upstandingcitizens]

24. lots

and lots of 'em.
I was talking to a Brutha down at the check cashing store one day awhile back and he was all amazed by the number of folks he knew that were proud of going to prison. The ones headed in bragged on it and the folk released were all trying to get back in. His opinion was they was all "crazy Ni**a's".

[defendandprotect]

9. Our prison system is criminal -- 1% of the African American population locked up!!!

And the fake Drug War raging on --

[Loudmxr]

11. The title is misleading. The US MAY have a drop in prison population..

US is still putting them away faster than we are releasing them. The trend is downward but its not a certain thing. There are still prisons out there with no body in them.

[New Dawn]

12. Exactly.

The number of prisoners increased yet again this year.

[krabigirl]

13. wow, good news for once

[pitchforksandtorches]

15. It'd go up if Rethuglicant crooks and liars were convicted...n/t

[Turbineguy]

16. They put Huckabee

in charge of the prisons?

At least he lets out dangerous criminals.

[tabasco]

17. It needs to drop a whole lot more before we can call ourselves "The Land of the Free."

Police State USA - courtesy of the irrational war on marijuana.

[Le Taz Hot]

21. Well, until that mandatory insurance thingy

kicks in and people can't pay the fucking premiums or the fucking fines.

[showpan]

23. I call "total bullshit"

The reason the numbers are down in federal and state facilities is because prisoners are now being incarcerated into privately run facilities. The numbers will continue to drop as more and more are transfered into new facilities being built. They spin this just as they spin the unemployment numbers...wtf

[Uncle Joe]

25. That's a bullshit misleading headline by the AP.

1. They don't take in to account the growth of private for profit prisons' population.

2. ".8 percent growth" isn't a drop in the state and federal prisons' populations, it's only a reduction in the % of growth.

Thanks for the thread, onehandle.

[Frank Cannon]

26. All the criminals are now working on Wall Street...

and in the banking industry.