Wow.

This report about it from 2006 is interesting. It compares countries. http://www.nccd-crc.org/nccd/pubs/2006nov_factsheet_incarceration.pdf
Who ever thought the answer to drugs is jail?

Those statistics are really jarring. 1 in 36 adult Hispanic men and 1 in adult black men?

I don't have a TV so I don't get to watch the wire, but the prison system has always bothered me.

I still can't get over those statistics....

One thing to remember: prison exists to make people suffer. American prisons evolved to make this suffering more profound than in the past, starting from sentences several times longer than in other countries, to widespread use of solitary confinement and sensory deprivation, rape condoned and rape organized, diminished education etc.

Toughness is the readiness to make people suffer. They deserve it, it was their choice. They still have it too good. And why we kill them so rarely? Those sentiments are propagated and exploited.

Timidly, some try to inform the public that the habit of inflicting suffering in increasing quantities is actually expensive. Not that there is anything wrong about it, but is it cost effective?

Except that one can run cost effective concentration camps. Sheriff of Phoenix was very popular for high toughness and economy with which he run enormous county jail that was actually open air camp. He gushed how he saves taxpayers money by giving inmates crappy food, and how he humilates them with pink underwear. I do not recall an attempt to oust an elective sheriff or DA on anti-sadist ticket.

I thought prisons also existed to rehabilitate people. In theory.

"They deserve it, it was their choice."

Technically they deserve something for breaking the law but why should jails be filled with non-violent people? Why pay 25 000 each to house people who are not a danger to society? I thought jail was for making the world a safer place.

I read your post at The Nation, Samhita. Your analysis of the "justice" system is right on.

However, it's important to note that each state creates its own voting laws. In several states, people with criminal records CAN legally vote. For example, In Ohio you can legally vote as long as you are not serving a felony sentence inside of an institution. Ohio law permits anyone to vote who has a pending felony case, has prior felony convictions, is on probation, or is on parole.

Frequently, people with felony records do not know about their voting rights. It is counterproductive to spread incorrect information about this issue. Regardless of what the state law might be, if someone thinks that she can't legally vote, then she won't show up to the polls on election day.

Another interesting thing about the way people think about prisons is the sexism aspect to them. You touched on how people believe that prisons should be harsh and rough, but this is in an obvious context where they assume prisoners are males. Because they assume that these are harsh, callous men, they give them harsh, callous treatment. However, traditional gender roles assign more emotion and compassionate feelings to women, which is why women's prisons are traditionally better than men's, and why many women do not get sent to prison in the first place.

Great article Samhita!! Just spot on. Glad to see this plugged here.