While going through a few things, I stumbled upon this graph showing the growth in the Federal prison population from 1950 to 2005.
That’s just to 2005. And it doesn’t include the state and local prisoners either.
Irrespective of the causes–breakdown of society, too many laws, whatever–the incarceration rate in this country is (or at least should be) a source of shame.
The knee-jerk reaction to this is to pass a law. But passing so many laws is part of the problem. Repeal a few, maybe? Perhaps we can really be the “land of the free” again.
Positive Infinity 