Friday, February 29, 2008

DO NOT PASS GO



Doc the Bass sent over following and very disturbing report from Yahoo News that tells how the USA – the supposed land of the free – has more of its citizens in the slammer than any other nation in the world. Reason’s cited are mandatory minimum sentencing, and three-strikes laws, but does not mention the savagely high number of those doing time are related to the never ending War on Drugs.

"For the first time in U.S. history, more than one of every 100 adults is in jail or prison, according to a new report documenting America's rank as the world's No. 1 incarcerator. It urges states to curtail corrections spending by placing fewer low-risk offenders behind bars.
Using state-by-state data, the report says 2,319,258 Americans were in jail or prison at the start of 2008 — one out of every 99.1 adults. Whether per capita or in raw numbers, it's more than any other nation.
The report, released Thursday by the Pew Center on the States, said the 50 states spent more than $49 billion on corrections last year, up from less than $11 billion 20 years earlier. The rate of increase for prison costs was six times greater than for higher education spending, the report said."
(Click for the whole shameful tale.)

The secret word is Greybar

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