RE: The Prison System: Mass incarceration and its alternatives
When non-crimes are declared "illegal," and the police have more incentive to generate revenue than to investigate real crimes, it should come as no surprise that the US has the highest prison population in the world.
Many factors could feasibly be involved in reduced violent crime. Concealed carry laws changing to increase the number of armed victims could change the risk/reward incentives of crime. Less lead in the environment from paint and gas could mean less heavy metal toxicity causing poor impulse control and violent tendencies. Video games could be working as outlets for violent impulses. Who knows what else could also be in play. But I am skeptical of claims that increased "law enforcement" is reducing crime when the law enforcement is often criminal itself.
I completely agree with you. There are many reasons why our prison population is out of control, a large one being revenue, as you’ve mentioned. I chose to forgo the reasons behind mass incarceration in order to keep the length down a bit.
The factors you mentioned are all theories I had researched during the writing of this article, and I agree that it’s difficult to determine, which is why I stated such in my article. I’m a bit confused where the skepticism is coming from as my article does not reference increased law enforcement. Would you care to expound?
I apologize if I was unclear in my late-night reply. I have seen in various other places a claim that the reduction in crime rates and increase in prison population has a causal relationship.